Old Habits and Consequences
by food vacuum 9000
Summary: He tried so many times to win her heart but to no avail. Finally he won her over, but things get ugly when he returned to his old habits, little did he know how great the consequences will be. LoLu. LokexLucy Warning: Hints of lemon and suicide
1. Just The Girl

Author's Note: Hi guys! This is my first fanfic in this category. Hope you'll like it and review generously. Thanks again!

Disclaimer: I do not own fairy tail, its characters, etc.

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><p><em>Beep. Beep. Beep. <em>I cringed at the sound of my stupid alarm clock making that annoying noise telling me that it's already morning and I need to get up. Of course, because of my lazy nature, I decided to stop it and go back to sleep.

"5 more minutes please", I said to no one in particular.

"Okay princess"

"Thanks Loke…" I mumbled and went back to sleep. Upon closing my eyes, a realization hit me. I quickly got up from bed and shouted at the trespasser.

"KYAAAA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" I shouted at the top of my lungs, obviously I was angry at Loke for invading my privacy as if Natsu and Happy weren't already enough to do that in the first place.

He smirked.

"Aww, you look so cute when you get angry like that", he said teasingly.

"GET OUT!" I threw a pillow at him but he easily dodged it. God I swear I'm gonna kill him if only I wasn't too tired and sleepy. He moved smoothly towards me and looked at me with his sparkling green eyes. After a moment of silence, he kissed my cheek. I blushed not because I feel smitten at his sudden gesture, but angry of his flirtatious ways towards me.

"What do you think you are doing?" I shouted again, showing him that I was annoyed of his usual antics.

"I just wanted to visit my princess, after all…I'm her knight in shining armor", he said with a wide smile plastered in his face. He was about to say something else, probably something cheesy but before he did, I already had a lot of him for one day and decided to force close his gate.

"Wait! Prin…"

He wasn't able to finish his sentence as a flash of light engulfed his body and I knew at that moment he was transported back to the spirit world.

"Finally! Some peace and quiet" I exclaimed and lazily went back to my bed, wishing that there will be no more unwanted visitors for this day.

Unknown to the celestial spirit mage, another conversation is taking place at the spirit world between the early intruder and one of her celestial spirits.

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><p>"Loke-san, why do you always hit on Lucy-chan? Yu know that whatever feelings you have for her will never be reciprocated. I'm sorry", Aries said matter-of-factly.<p>

"Just wait Aries-chan. I won't give up on Lucy no matter what! I already love her too much to let her go", Loke said with a hint of determination in his voice. Usually, when girls rejected him, like the case of Erza Scarlet, he immediately moves on to the next girl. But there's something different from Lucy that made the proud lion stick with his prey. Aries noticed the look in Loke's eyes and she just stared at her brother, honestly shocked by his response since this is the first time that she saw Loke like this.

"So…what did you see in her that made you determined in winning her heart?" asked Aries.

"She's nice, sweet, funny, and loving to her celestial spirits. But besides that, she can also be cold, angry, and scary enough to be compared to the likes of Erza. Basically, she is the perfect combination of an angel and a devil" he explained to Aries.

After a few moments of silence, he smiled at her.

"Aries, can't you see? She's just the girl I'm looking for".

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><p>Author's note: Hello everybody! This is the first chapter of my story. Let me explain, this is not a series of one-shots but each chapter is inspired by a song. I initially thought of making a songfic but later decided against it since it might interfere with the quality I am aiming for. I'll just post the song title at the end of each chapter, and you guys judge if the song is suited to the chapter. Please read and review. I'll accept comments, suggestions, and violent reactions. (ok, maybe not too violent, please try to make them as constructive as possible, thanks! :D) Also, I have a problem with making long chapters since I tend to go direct to the point and skip the small details, so I'll apologize in advance. Thanks again!<p>

By the way, the song for this chapter is:

Just The Girl by The Click Five


	2. Stereo Hearts

Author's note: Thank you for the wonderful reviews everybody! You guys are the best! Since I'm in a good mood today because I got a good grade at a test, I decided to update early. I hope you keep supporting this story. By the way, this chapter is more on action, so I hope you guys won't get bored. I tried to compensate by adding a few humorous lines every now and then and I hope it doesn't sound too corny. Also, everytime you see the word "narrator" I want you guys to picture the scene they do in the anime where they freeze the screen and the narrator introduces a new character. :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, etc. etc. I do own the OC characters that would appear in this chapter.

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><p><em>Gate of the Lion, I open thee!<em>

_Leo!_

"You called? my dear sweet princess"

"Ugh, now's not the time Loke. Natsu and Gray are out, and Erza is busy fighting the leader. I'm counting on you to kick this guy's sorry ass".

"My, my. You sure have a lot of spunk in you little girl", said Hajime.

_Narrator: This is Hajime, the right hand of Lareon, the leader of the dark guild "Devil's Advocate". They are a sub-guild under Oracion Seis. They are tasked to find the golden lacrima in order to resurrect the demon Kavankha, the demon of misery. Their guild specializes in manipulating caster-type magic explaining the easy defeat of Gray and Natsu. But Hajime is something special, because besides manipulation, he is also a celestial spirit mage and has one of the twelve golden keys._

_Gate of the fighting fish, I open thee!_

_Pisces!_

"Who's the enemy master Hajime?"

"Them!"

_Narrator: This is Pisces, the all brawn and no brain zodiac. He is a brute merman that can destroy a mountain with a single punch. By concentrating the hydraulic pressure of water in his hands, the force of his punches is always at optimum level. He is arguably the strongest zodiac when it comes to mere strength, but his lack of wit makes him vulnerable to well calculated attacks._

"So Leo, we've meet again."

"Yeah, just a while ago I easily defeated you without lifting a single finger. I knew it was only sparring, but I was surprised that you turned out to be so weak Pisces".

Loke knows that agitating Pisces will cloud his vision with anger and will make him lose his sense of reason and focus in a fight.

"Why you oversized cat! Whirpool fists of fury!" Pisces screamed as he sent flurries of rapid punches forming a massive whirlpool towards Loke. It hit large rocks and trees creating a smoky area made from dust. When the smoke cleared up, Loke was nowhere to be found. Convinced that his hit connected, he thought it sent Loke back to the spirit world. He smirked and arrogantly claimed that he was the strongest spirit among the zodiacs.

When he turned around, it was already too late.

"Regalus Impact!" Loke shouted. And just like that, Pisces was sent back to the spirit world.

Hajime, now terrified at the defeat of his strongest spirit, tried to escape. Unfortunate for him, Loke quickly turned around and chased after him.

"Regulus Punch!"

And with that, Hajime was out of his senses before you could say Naruto. (A/N: Oops, wrong anime ^_^)

By the time they finished, Erza already defeated the leader, Lareon. Natsu and Gray finally woke up, and Happy came out of nowhere. They destroyed what's left of the guild and arrested the members. They collected their reward, a whopping 500,000jewels/member. Also, Lucy got a hold on a new golden key, since the contract between Pisces and his previous owner has already been broken.

"Thank you Loke, you can rest now" Lucy told her strongest spirit.

"W-wait! T-there's something I want to ask you", he said sheepishly.

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering if we could go out on a date". Lucy was about to reject his offer but he quickly continued. "It's not the kind of date you're thinking about, you know, just as friends. It's been a while since we've hanged out, I kinda miss it", he finished.

Lucy was a little hesitant and cannot make up her mind.

"Please?" Loke pleaded with his kitty cat eyes. (A/N: I was about to say puppy dog, but since he's a lion, that would have been weird. ^_^)

After she released an exasperated sigh, she finally agreed.

"Fine, but no funny business, got it?" she said with a stern look on her face.

Loke perked up at her decision and hugged her tightly. "Thank you princess! I promise, no funny business".

Lucy blushed at his blunt reaction but quickly broke their hug and turned around. She didn't want Loke to see her crimson face.

"You're welcome, now you should really get some rest, you have used a lot of your magic during the fight", she motioned her hand in the air signalling Loke to go back to the spirit world.

Unknown to Lucy, Loke gave the sweetest most genuine smile a spirit could ever give before he disappeared.

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><p>Author's note: So it looks like Loke is making his move, and managed to snag a date with Lucy! Would it blossom into a new kind of relationship? Or would it become a complete disaster that spells epic fail? Stay tuned for the next chapter to be updated next Friday (but I might update it sooner if I get a lot of reviews. It's what motivates me to keep on writing for you wonderful people :D) so don't forget! Please read and review! Who knows? Your opinions might help me tweak the outcome of the next chapter.:D<p>

Song that inspired this chapter:

Stereo Hearts by Gym Class heroes


	3. Falling For You

Author's note: I hope you guys are ready for a revelation, because here it comes! Enjoy :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, etc.

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><p><em>Knock Knock. <em>"Princess, are you ready?" I tried to ask with much confidence as I can. Usually, I am a smooth talker, and can easily melt the ladies with little to no effort at all. But this date with Lucy is something different. This date has two possible outcomes, it could either blossom into something new in our relationship, or it might destroy the bond that we have now. With that thought it mind, I cannot afford to mess this up.

"Just a minute"

"Ok princess, take your time"

_30 minutes later..._

_What's taking her so long?_ I mentally asked myself. Then, as if she heard my thoughts, the door opened and my eyes couldn't believe what it was seeing. Lucy…with her soft golden hair caressing her beautiful face, those sparkling brown orbs tantalizing me to stare at them for all eternity, and her beautiful curvaceous body that screamed perfection, made her look like a divine creature revered by all men. I was in a deep trance and didn't seem to process whatever she was telling me.

"Uhm Loke? I think you dropped your jaw", she said worriedly. I snapped back to reality and apologized about my sudden behaviour. She left out a soft chuckle, and then closed the door.

We went to a fancy restaurant called Elegante. It was a five star restaurant that any girl would surely love. After accompanying Lucy to her seat, I sat down and we made small talk. At first it was going smoothly, but because of my nervousness and lack of words, things became a little awkward. There was a moment of silence between the both of us until I mustered up the courage to continue our conversation.

"So…", I started. "How is it going with Natsu? Anything new?"

"Oh same old, same old. He and Happy still go to my house, eat my food, then bug me to death", she said with a bored tone.

_Things are getting bad. _I started to panic. _Come on Loke, think of something quick!_

"Oh, I see. So…who's your favourite spirit? Besides me of course" I said with a flirty smile across my face.

Her face suddenly lightened up and rolled her eyes.

"You silly lion! Of course I like all of you. But of course, Plue is my pet and well, there's a special bond between the two of us so…Plue's my favorite", she said cheerfully.

"Alas! The princess has chosen the royal pitbull over her knight in shining armor, oh fate! How cruel are thee", I exclaimed rather dramatically.

She giggled at my actions and replied, "Knight in shining armor? More like the royal cat!" she left out another set of laughter and I can't help but smile at her.

The conversation got its momentum and we talked about a lot of things. From her life before becoming a celestial spirit mage, to her mother Layla. We also talked about why she chose Fairy Tail as her guild and why her spirits meant a lot to her.

"Hahaha! You're really funny Loke"

"Oh am I?" I gave her a wink and my winning smile.

"Silly lion. Ehe, thanks for the date Loke, I really had a wonderful evening, I hope we could do this again some other time"

"Yeah, I hope so too"

I accompanied her to her house and asked if I can get a kiss goodbye.

"May I?"

"Uh…oh what the heck, why not"

Then she gave me a small peck on my cheeks. She blushed, nodded her head, and then said goodnight. After she closed the door, I went wild because of extreme happiness.

"Yes! Wuhoo! Lucy kissed me!" I danced around the street, not caring about the people staring at me. After I calmed down, I went back to the spirit world and smiled in my sleep. _This is the life._

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><p>The next day…<p>

"Lu-chan! Tell us everything!" Levy exclaimed excitedly. After hearing from Natsu and Gray that Lucy and Loke had a date, she was determined to make Lucy spill everything. Along with her were Erza and Mirajane. The two S-class wizards were also curious on how the date went.

"U-uhm…w-well" Lucy stuttered. She was not sure how to tell them the events that happened that night, but apparently, she had no choice. After composing herself, she finally told them what happened.

"At first I thought it was just going to be a regular date, like the ones you see on tv. Nothing special, I was actually expecting him to act like a total flirt once we get there. But surprisingly, he was a real gentleman, and it was really out of character. At first I was suspicious and decided to act bored and disinterested so that he'll get bored and leave me there, knowing that he has a very low attention span. But he stayed, I saw in his face that he really wanted to say something that will break the ice, and after sometime he finally did".

"KAWAII~~" Levy shouted.

"Shh, we haven't gotten to the good part yet" Mirajane told Levy.

"Ahh sorry, please continue Lu-chan"

"Anyway, things got really good between us. I felt really happy with our conversation and I found out more about him. When we went home, he asked me for a goodnight kiss. At first I was taken aback by his request, but he was a real gentleman so I decided to give in"

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" the three girls exclaimed in unison.

"So Lu-chan! How do you feel about him?" Levy asked.

"I don't know…I think I'm falling for him."

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><p>Author's Note: And that ends chapter three! I hope you guys enjoyed. By the way, I hope the conversation with the girls does not sound wrong or out of place since I don't know much about how girls talk about boys and needed to ask one of my friends. Chapter four will be full of fluff so stay tuned, and don't forget to review! It will make me a very happy camper^_^<p>

Song for this chapter:  
>Falling For You by Colbie Caillat<p> 


	4. God Gave Me You

Author's note: Hey guys! I decided to update early since I have some free time this week because we have no classes on Monday since it is Chinese new year! 祝大家新年快乐! ^_^ And I might not be able to update next week since we have a lot of school work.

Disclaimer: I do not own fairy tail, etc.

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><p>"Natsu, Gray, can I talk to you guys for a while?"<p>

"Sure Loke, what is it?" Natsu said with his usual goofy grin.

"Uhm…do you guys know what Lucy likes? Chocolates? Flowers? Stuffed animal?

The two boys arched their eyebrows at Loke, wondering why he wants to know Lucy's favourites. Then out of nowhere, Happy appeared and flew towards them.

"He liiiiikes her" he said teasingly.

"Thanks captain obvious, yes I do like Lucy, and I plan on asking her out on Valentine's Day. So can you guys help me out?"

Gray placed his arm around Loke's shoulder. "Ahh I see you really like our friend. From what I remember she likes dark chocolate and roses. She goes crazy when she sees them."

"And she likes the color pink!" Natsu added, pointing at his hair.

"Don't flatter yourself flame brain!"

"What did you just say ice breath?"

"Idiot!"

"Pervert!"

Loke made a sweat drop as he realized that the two are out to fight each other again. He silently thanked them and went out of the guild. He has no time to waste as Valentine's Day will be two days from now. He bought the most expensive roses and chocolates he could find and went straight away to the spirit world.

That evening, he is starting to doubt if he should ask her out or not.

_What if she refused? What will I do then? Argh, stop being so negative Loke, you'll never know until you try._ With one final huff, he opened his gate and appeared in front of Lucy's house.

_Knock. Knock._

"Natsu? Is that you? If you come in I swear I'm going to kick your ass so hard, you'd wish for gray to place an ice cube in your sorry butt!"

Loke smirked at that thought and replied, "Although that sounds really interesting and I'd like to see that… it's me, Loke, who plans on seeing you tonight. May I come in?"

"Oh…sorry you had to hear that. He's just getting on my nerves lately. Sure come in"

When he went inside, she saw her in her pink pajamas with teddy bear prints. She looked really cute and didn't notice he was staring at her for a long time.

"Uhm…Loke?"

"Oh right right, sorry about that" he said a bit embarrassed.

"It's all right, so why are you here?"

"I-I was wondering…"he started, and then cleared his throat.

"Do you have plans on valentine's day?"

Lucy, shocked at his question can't help but blush. _ Is he going to ask me out? I hope he does._

"None, why?"

"Well I was wondering? Would you go out with me?" He asked with his head down, playing with his hands, still afraid that she might reject his offer.

"I'd love to!"

The lion immediately smiled, delighted at her reply. "Really? Thank You Lucy! I'd pick you up at 8"

"OK, see you then" she said as she gave him a heartfelt smile.

He smiled and bowed his head, the said goodbye. When he disappeared, the little celestial spirit mage can't handle her happiness and immediately called her friend.

"Levy-chan! I have a date again with Loke"

"Really? Where?"  
>"He didn't tell me, I think it's a surprise"<p>

"Wow! You have to tell me everything when the date's over Lu-chan, okay?"  
>"Sure Levy-chan! Goodnight!"<p>

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><p>Valentine's Day, 8pm<p>

Loke arrived at Lucy's place and gave her the roses and dark chocolate.

"Loke, they're my favourite! How did you know?"

"I have my sources", he said and winked at her.

"You sweet lion. Now, where are you taking me?"

"Ahh, patience my dear, we will get there soon enough"

They rode a cab and 15 minutes later they arrived at a pier where a blimp shaped like a heart is floating above them.

"LOKE! THIS IS…" she can't finish her sentence. She was awe-stricken by the beautiful scenery and can't fathom what was happening in her life.

"Yes my dear, this is the world famous _Blimp de amor, _the most beautiful restaurant in the whole kingdom of Fiore, I hope you liked it. Shall we go inside?"

Lucy just nodded her head. She was still too surprised to utter any words.

The couple went inside and embraced the beautiful ambiance offered by the place. They took a seat near the stage and ordered their food. They talked, ate, laugh, and had a wonderful time. They enjoyed the place, food, but most importantly, the company of the one they love. After a while, the manager made an announcement.

"Today is a very special occasion, as we all know it is Valentine's Day. So may we request the couples out there to occupy the dance floor?"

"May I have this dance Ms. Lucy Heartfilia?"

"You certainly may Mr. Loke…uhh…do you have a surname?"

Loke laughed at her sudden question, "Come to think of it, we never had one. Since we were accustomed to being called by our first name, we never thought about the use of having a last name"

Lucy just nodded. "Oh ok, so shall we dance?"

"Yes we shall" he gently grabbed her hand and ushered her to the dance floor.

There were a lot of couples in the dance floor, but they were placed in the center. When the music began, Lucy realized something. _I know this song! But why is it only instrumental? I guess it sounded more romantic but I would have preferred if they played with the lyrics. _Towards the chorus, Lucy did not expect what Loke did.

He started to sing.

_**God gave me you to show me what's real**__**  
><strong>__**There's more to life than just how I feel**__**  
><strong>__**And all that I'm worth is right before my eyes**__**  
><strong>__**And all that I live for though I didn't know why**__**  
><strong>__**Now I do, 'cause God gave me you**_

When he ended, he gave her a warm smile. She hugged him tight but they still continued to dance, tears started to form in her eyes. Loke seemed to notice her whimpering.

"Are you okay?" he asked with a worried voice, when she didn't reply he gave out a sigh.

Now, it's her time to surprise him, when the second chorus was about to be played, she sang to him.

_**God gave me you to show me what's real**__**  
><strong>__**There's more to life than just how I feel**_

Then she pulled away from their hug and looked into his eyes. Lucy was still crying but she's smiling at the same time. She continued to sing,

_**And all that I'm worth is right before my eyes**__**  
><strong>__**And all that I live for though I didn't know why**__**  
><strong>__**Now I do, 'cause God gave me you**_

After the song was over, they shared an intimate kiss. Lucy heard cheers from the crowd, but it seems like she has drowned in his kiss, that she didn't care about anything else at the moment.

When he pulled away, he looked at her with his gentle green eyes.

"Lucy, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

Lucy didn't respond as she quickly kissed him again, when they pulled apart he chuckled.

"So was that a yes?"

"Yes!"

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><p>Author's note: That ends chapter four! I hope you guys will understand if I can't update for a while. Med school is tough and it's taking my life away like crazy. Please read and review! They're the reason why I update despite the lack of free time.<p>

Song for this chapter:

God Gave Me You by Bryan White


	5. Smile

Author's not: That awesome moment when classes were cancelled. It gave me time to write a new chapter.

I would like to give a shout out to Ms. **Rhov** for constantly giving reviews! I think you're my only reader left. So, thank you very much for continuously supporting my story. :D

This chapter is more of a filler and is full of flashbacks, enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own fairy tail, etc.

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><p>Love. Such a wonderful thing the new couple has found. Ever since they became officially together, things went really smooth for the two of them. During missions, he was no longer summoned by Lucy in order to aid her. Because their bond got stronger, his magic power increased as well making him able to roam around Earthland for a week without getting tired.<p>

After missions, they would usually go on dates. Loke's favorite date was the time when they saw "Magic Eater 2", a horror film involving a monster that hunts and eats wizards as its source of food. Lucy, being the frail little girl that she was, would hide her face in Loke's chest and tremble.

_Flashback_

"L-loke…I-I'm s-scared"

"Don't worry princess; I'll protect you from any monster that will try to harm you. I won't even let them lay a single finger on you"

Lucy tilted her head and looked at Loke with those innocent eyes. _Damn, she looks really cute._ "You promise?"

He kissed her forehead and replied, "Yeah I promise, I'll never leave you"

She smiled at his assurance, then went back to rest her head in his chest, "Thanks Loke…"

"You're welcome princess"

_End of flashback_

When he snapped back to reality, they were almost home from their twelfth date. Today, they went to an amusement park. The coupled had a great time riding the roller coasters and goofing around in the house of mirrors. Loke also played in one of the booths and managed to win a stuffed animal for Lucy. It was a big cat with wings, an exceed, like Happy and Charle.

When they arrived at Lucy's front porch, they kissed each other, but both of them were unwilling to let go. After a while, they finally parted and said their goodbyes.

"I really had a great time Loke…

…I love you" she said shyly.

Loke grinned at her, "I love you too princess, and don't you forget that" he winked at her before opening the door in order to let her in. Once inside, they said goodnight to each other and he went back to the spirit world. She got to bed but wasn't sleepy yet. Loke also went to his bed but couldn't sleep.

Coincidentally, both of them started to reminisce on the time before they met each other.

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><p><em>Lucy's flashback<em>

"_Mom! Mom no!" _ Lucy screamed as her frail mother was starting to let go. After getting involved in a car accident, she suffered from massive blood loss and was not able to reach the hospital in time. When they reached the ER, they could no longer stabilize her condition, and it's just a matter of time before she'll let go.

"Lucy...I'm sorry. I know this is too much for you, but I know you're a strong girl. Please, be good to your father once I'm gone", Layla shed a tear but continued. "Don't forget Lucy…I love you" and with those words, her monitor flat lined. The doctors tried to resuscitate her but to no avail. Lucy's life crumbled in front of her, and she doesn't know if she'll ever be happy again.

A few years has past and she started to recover, she's trying her best to get closer to her dad, but it seems like all of her efforts are futile.  
>"Hey dad!"<p>

"What do you want Lucy? Can't you see I'm busy"

"I-I just want you to have this. I made it for you! It's a rice cake that looks like you" she said with a proud smile.

Jude took the rice cake and threw it away. "Get out! I have no time for such nonsense, make yourself useful and do something productive!"

Tears started to form in Lucy's eyes, but she just nod out of respect and went out. For a while, she became void of any emotion and became as hard as stone. But she realized she can't live like that. Lucy ran away from home and decided to join fairy tail, and it was the best decision that she has ever made. There, she had a family and became good friends with Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Happy. She became part of Fairy Tail's strongest team. But there are times that she still felt alone. Despite being a part of something, she can't brush away the feeling that she is some kind of an outcast. Natsu, Gray, and Erza all knew each other since they were kids, and sometimes, the three of them would make inside jokes and ignore her presence, though she knows that they don't do it on purpose. Still…she can't help but feel something else is missing, and then out of the blue, he came along.

That faithful day came when she found out his true identity, when she saved him from disappearing forever. Though there were no initial feelings for him, as time went by she started to form a crush, and on the night of their first date, she knew that she was starting to fall. He brought happiness into her life, and from there on, she knew he was the reason why she smiles.

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><p><em>Loke's flashback<em>

_Leo…leader of the zodiacs_, _huh, what a complete farce. _He thought as he remembered the time when he was banished from the spirit world. Loke and Aries used to be under the contract of a ruthless celestial spirit mage named Karen Lilica.

One day, she summoned Aries as a form of entertainment to her suitors. Aries, uncomfortable with the situation, talked back to her master.

"K-karen-sama, I'm not designed for this kind of stuff, I'm sorry."

"Are you talking back! You know what happens when you talk back right" Karen said menacingly.

"Y-yes, sorry" Aries quickly replied. She was terrified of her master's unorthodox ways of punishing her.

Bob saw everything and scolded Karen for it. The celestial sprit mage was enraged because she thought her spirit told on her and decided to punish her. Loke, who can no longer handle the mistreatment of Karen, appeared in front of her.

"Leo, what are you doing here"

"We had enough of you Karen, release us from our contracts"

"Heh, I'll just close your gate and summon aries back"

"You can't do that, I came using my own magic and you're not strong enough to use force closure. I'll be waiting at the ruins if you decide to let us go"

Weeks have passed and Karen was not able to take a single job. She tried to compromise with Loke but he refused. She got angry and beat him up but was still unable to go on jobs. On the third month, he finally thought of forgiving Karen and decided that he'll just reappear if she ever mistreats aries again.

But when Bob appeared in front of him, he knew something terrible has happened. Bob told him that Karen died in a job. She was impatient, and recklessly took a job without his consent. Loke cried and realized that he can no longer go back to the spirit world. He was banished as he broke a fundamental rule between human and spirit. From a proud leader to a pathetic outcast, he tried to move on by drowning himself in beer and hooking up with random ladies. His efforts were proven to be in vain as Karen's memory kept on haunting him.

On that faithful day, Lucy arrived at the guild. He was immediately attracted to her, but cowered in fear when he realized she was a celestial spirit mage. After sometime, he realized she was different and started to protect her from a distance. On the day that he was about to have his final breath, she realized his true form and saved him from being permanently erased from this world. She brought new meaning to his life, a new reason to keep on living. She became his master, friend, and finally lover. Come to think of it, she is the reason why he smiles.

_End of both flashbacks._

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><p>Both thought about how lucky they were to have each other , but neither of them realized how they were also equally important to their partner. They were perfect for each other and complemented one another in a lot of ways. They were happy on how things were going, and wished that whatever they have will last for eternity.<p>

Sadly though, nothing lasts forever…

* * *

><p>Author's note: So what do you guys think? Please review. ^_^. I'd like to hear your opinions and expectations in the future ^^<p>

Also, I was going to use Karen for a third party, but I accidentally used her here. Any suggestions on who should fill up the role? It just shouldn't be Erza, Levy, or any of her spirits, because I have plans for them later on. It can be an OC since I can't think of a random name at the moment. I put on a poll so you guys could vote, if your choice isn't in the poll, you could PM me or leave it as a review, thank you. ^_^

Song that inspired this chapter:

Smile by Avril Lavigne


	6. Stupid Boy

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews and opinions guys. They encourage me to improve my writing and flow on this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own fairy tail, etc.

* * *

><p><em>Three months later<em>

"Hey Loke! Levy and I are going out tonight; we're going to watch a play from our favourite novel, "Les Miserables". I would have asked you to come along, but I know you think it's boring and I don't want to waste your time". Lucy said rather insulting, albeit having good intentions.

"OK" Loke said nonchalantly.

Lucy, noticing Loke has been distant lately, finally decided to find out what is wrong with him.

"OK? Loke…do you have a problem? You have been acting like that this past few days…I want to know what's wrong with you" Lucy looked at her partner, filled with concern in her eyes. After giving out a heavy sigh, he finally replied.

"Do you love me?"

"Of course! Why would you even ask that?" Lucy said while playfully punching Loke's arm. Loke on the other hand, did not change his blank expression upon the playful contact of the celestial spirit mage.

"Then, why don't you spend some time with me?" Loke's statement came out more as a statement than a question. Lucy got a confused look in her face, honestly astonished with his bold statement.

"WHA? What are you talking about! We just went out last week!", Lucy said matter-of-factly.

This time, Loke finally looked at her and anger was starting to build up in his body. He can't take it any longer, and he needs to let her see how he has been feeling.

"AFTER A MONTH! If you're not with your team doing missions, you go out with Levy or Mirajane and hang out with them. Where does that leave me Lucy? Can't you see that I've been feeling empty lately, and you still manage to leave me here all alone? Sometimes…sometimes, I wonder if maybe you're seeing some other guy behind my back", Loke said shouting with an amount of hurt in his voice, especially when he emphasized on the last statement.

Lucy, took all of her best efforts to refrain from slapping Loke. She started to tear up, but still held her head up high, and she started to shout in return.

"YOU ACTUALLY THINK I'M CHEATING BEHIND YOUR BACK? Do you know how much it stings to here you accuse me like that?" Lucy retorted.

Loke felt guilty of his actions, but quickly brushed that feeling away and continued to argue with Lucy, after all, the lion is the epitome of pride.

"Well, did you?" he asked with an accusing tone.

Lucy can't take it any longer, she slapped Loke with all her might, as streams of tears kept on cascading down her soft cheeks. Without uttering another word, she took her bag and stormed out of the house. Loke could only stare at the retreating figure as he was still shocked on what had happened.

When the door slammed shut, Loke finally snapped out of his thoughts and sighed out loud. _I think I need a drink._

* * *

><p>"And that's what happened Levy-chan", Lucy ended, telling Levy everything that happened between her and Loke before she left home.<p>

"Hmm…" Levy said, while she kept on thinking of the right thing to say to her bestfriend. She doesn't want to see Lucy and Loke fight, and the thought of them breaking up will bring her a huge amount of grief. After all, Mira, Happy, and she, are the ones who kept on urging Loke to make a move on Lucy. She finally thought of the right thing to say, and looked at Lucy with a comforting smile.

"Lu-chan, the reason why Loke is like that, is because he really loves you. When a guy gets jealous like that, it means that he wants you to spend more time with him, than anyone else", Levy told Lucy, who only stared at her bestfriend with a quizzical look.

"But why does he have to accuse me of cheating?" Lucy cringed, remembering the exact words he told her. The pain was still fresh, but has somehow lessened, maybe because of her opening up to Levy.

"You know that Loke used to be a player right? He was probably thinking what he would have done if he was feeling distant with someone he was with a relationship with. I'm positively sure that he doesn't really think that of you. It was just a stir-of-the-moment kind of thing; after all, anger clouds reason"

Lucy nodded. "So, what do you think I should do?"

Levy was really happy of Lucy. She knew that her friend does not know how to hold on to grudges and she was willing to forgive anybody who has wronged her. _Loke, you lucky cat, don't ever let go of her. _She thought inwardly, before giving out her reply.

"Forgive him for his actions and apologize for your shortcomings. You love each other right? So I think you should not let something this petty get in between the both of you. In fact, this small fight of yours should make your relationship stronger!" Levy ended, giving a wide smile to Lucy.

"Yeah, maybe that's for the best" Lucy said while they continued to watch the play. She spaced out and thought of her relationship with Loke, what she should tell him, and how her approach should be. When the play ended, Levy nudged her and she came back to reality. She missed the play, but that's ok with her as she now is comfortable with talking to Loke again.

The two mages parted ways, and when Lucy arrived home, Loke wasn't there. _He must be in the spirit world, maybe I should summon him_? She thought. But looking at the time, he's probably asleep and it would be rude to wake him up. _I'll just tell him tomorrow. _With that final thought, she went to her bed and fell asleep.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile…<em>

Loke was drinking at the local bar. He already had 5 bottles of beer and was starting to feel a little tipsy. Suddenly, a familiar figure caught his eyes.

"Cana? "

Cana stared at him; she was already drunk but managed to recognize Loke.

"Loke! *hic* what are you *hic* doing here?" she said with a droopy look on her face.

"Just hanging around, getting myself some drinks, and looking at the ladies…if you know what I mean", Loke said while seductively playing with his eyebrows. He knows that Cana has no idea that Lucy and him were together, so he knows he can confine to her his inner thoughts.

"Tch. You and *hic* your playboy persona. I wouldn't be surprised if you get laid *hic* before this night ends"

"What an interesting thought, ironically, I feel the same about you"

They laughed at their bluntness. Their conversation continued, and they reminisced when they used to do missions together.

"Hey! Do you *hic* remember the time when we went on a *hic* mission, and you fell on a stupid trap and, it hang you upside down! *hic* That was really funny!" Cana gave out a loud laughter as she finished her sentence.

"Oh yeah? Well what about you when you wore a bikini on a mission that needed to seduce old men…and it ended up to be a complete hoax", he smirked at that thought. Loke saw Cana blush, she was obviously embarrassed at Loke's memory. _She looks pretty cute when she does that. _Then he stared at her body, seeing her revealing clothing made him feel horny. _Not to mention she's sizzling hot with that body._

He leaned in closer to her until they were centimetres apart. For a while, they only stared at each other until he finally kissed her. She accepted his gesture and did the same. It went for a while until he parted and gave her a flirtatious wink. She giggled at his actions and initiated for them to exchange cell phone numbers. Loke obliged and gave her his number. They paid for their bills and decided to go to her apartment.

"You can stay with me tonight…if you know what I mean" she said, mocking his flirtatious pick-up lines with a malicious smile on her face.

Loke, remembering he was in a relationship with Lucy, mentally scolded himself for being a complete scumbag and politely declined her offer. "Uh, maybe some other time"

Cana pouted but did not press on, "Fine! But don't forget to call me" she winked then went inside her apartment, no longer waiting for his reply.

_What have I done?_ Was all Loke could ever think of.

* * *

><p><em>Next morning…<em>

_Gate of the Lion, I open thee_

_Leo!_

"Hmm? Lucy? What am I doing here?"

"I want to talk with you" she told him softly.

Loke gulped, he was afraid that somebody might have seen him with Cana, and Lucy might interrogate him about it. However, he kept his cool and nodded his head as a reply to Lucy's statement.

"I'm sorry for neglecting you these past few days. I understand that you felt unloved, but I can assure you that you're the only guy for me. I only did my missions so that I could pay my rent and I go out with Levy and Mira-chan just to unwind from all the stress. But I know that's no excuse, I should have put you first despite of everything else, I want you to know that I don't know what I'll do without you Loke" this time, she was tearing up again and lunged to his arms, hugging him. "I hope you could forgive me" she looked at him and waited for his reply.

_This was definitely worse than getting caught_. The guilt-stricken lion initially couldn't look at his lover in the eyes. He was too ashamed of his actions and felt that he did not deserve Lucy's love and kindness. But he knows he can't let her go, no matter how disgusted he was with himself, he finally looked at her.

"I forgive you" he smiled at her, though inwardly he wanted to gutted himself for his actions.

Lucy brightened up and planted a kiss on Loke, who happily returned the kiss. She parted from his lips and told him that she'll go buy some groceries today since she's out of supplies. Lucy asked him if he wanted to come along, but he refused as he told her that he has something to do in the spirit world. She nodded then went out of the house. When she was gone, Loke took out his phone and noticed that there was a text.

**From: Cana**

**Message:**

**Hey there, hot stuff! ;) So about that date…**

Loke felt uneasy with the text, something's telling him that he should stop seeing Cana, but he can't deny that he felt a spark happened between them last night. After debating with himself, he finally replied.

**To: Cana**

**Message:**

**Let's go out this Saturday, I'll pick you up at around 7. See you then beautiful. ;)**

He sent the message. He can't believe he let lust take over him, after Lucy's big reveal, he had the audacity to cheat behind her back. He cursed himself at his lack of control, it's been a while, but it looks like his old habits are coming back.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: This is by far the longest chapter I have written for any of my stories, so I'd really appreciate for your opinion guys. Thank you in advance. ^_^ Next chapter will have a little more CanaxLoke and Lucy start to get suspicious of Loke. I hope you guys will look forward to it.<p>

Song that inspired this chapter:

Stupid Boy by Keith Urban


	7. Rumor Has It

Author's Note: Sorry for the late update guys, it's midterms from where I came from so I really needed to study. Hope you guys understand.

Disclaimer: I do not own fairy tail, etc. etc.

* * *

><p>Saturday night has finally come, and Loke was still unsure if he should continue with the date or not. He was able to make up an excuse for Lucy not to summon him during the whole evening and it would be a waste just to throw all of that away. After some deliberation, he finally stuck to his original plan and proceeded to Cana's house. He was still feeling a little guilty but not as much as before. It was like he was starting to feel numb and doesn't care if it was wrong or not. It builds up his adrenaline to go back out there and win the hearts of random chicks, a dangerous game playboys play, and he thought that all of it was going to be worth it.<p>

When he arrived at Cana's house, he rang the doorbell twice and waited for her to come out.

"Just a minute"

"ok princess, take your time" he said followed by a light chuckle. But everything felt familiar and he cringed at the sudden memory. Those were the first words that Loke and Lucy told each other on their first date. He thought of how wrong all of this felt, but at the same time it seems like it was something he was looking for. He was still pondering on his thoughts when the door opened and a very sexy Cana came out with her revealing dress. Loke whistled at her and she slightly punched him on the arm.

"Looks like somebody's prepared for tonight, eh?" Loke said as he tried to touch Cana's hips. She quickly brushed them away and winked at him.

"Uh uh uh, no touching of my treasures until the date's over. Got it tiger?" she seductively told the heated lion.

"Feisty, I like that!" he played with his eyebrows and then ushered her to the cab.

When they arrived at the restaurant, they made small chit chat and made their orders. Loke felt bored and the connection that he thought he had with her when they were at the bar suddenly disappeared. He was not sure if it was because he still felt guilty cheating on Lucy with Cana, or that they just needed more time together so that everything will come back. Cana, noticing Loke's stoic expression snapped her fingers in order to get his attention.

"Hey! What's bugging you? You've been like that this past five minutes, if you'll continue being like that, you won't get a chance to touch this…guns" she finished as she pointed at her bosoms.

Loke just chuckled. "I was just thinking on how beautiful you are, that's not a crime isn't it?" it was more of a rhetorical question as he leaned in and gave her a small kiss in the lips.

"Pfft, nice save playboy" Cana said a little bitterly but there was a hint of red forming on her cheeks, telling Loke that he did a good job.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile…<em>

Levy was on her way home after an exhausting job with her boyfriend Gajeel. She was about to cross the road when a familiar pair of faces caught her attention.

"Loke?...with Cana?" she shrieked, and the old lady behind her almost fainted. The old lady smacked her head and warned her. "Don't scare other people like that; I'm not yet ready to see my friends from the other side!"

"Oh, I'm really sorry maam, it won't happen again" she apologized to the old lady with an embarrassed expression on her face. When the old lady was gone, she went nearer to the place in order to get a better look. Her eyes widened after confirming it was really Loke and Cana in the restaurant. She was starting to hyperventilate and was weighing her choices if she should tell Lucy about it, or just keep her mouth shut. She finally decided that she should just stay and watch for a while. After all, the guild was really close, and for all she knew, this could just be a friendly get together by the two. She wouldn't bear it if she will be the reason why the two of them broke up because of her telling on him. But what she saw next almost made her scream, Loke and Cana kissed.

_That was definitely not a friendly date! _ She thought to herself and quickly rushed to Lucy's house.

When she arrived there, she knocked on the door and Lucy immediately opened it.

"Lucy! I need to tell you something…but you wouldn't like it" Levy hated to be the bearer of bad news, but she would rather hurt Lucy with the truth, than see Loke cheat behind her back.

A worried Lucy ushered her inside the house, and when they both sat down, Levy started to talk.

"Lu-chan…I hate to tell you this, but…but I think Loke is cheating on you"

"What? That's crazy!" Lucy was shocked, but laughed at Levy's statement. She knew it wouldn't happen as Loke told her she was the only girl for him and she's the reason why he had a change of heart.

"But it's true, I saw him with Cana a while ago and they kissed!"

"T-that's impossible" Lucy does not want to believe Levy's words and tried to make up possible explanations on what her friend saw.

"It was probably Hibiki. He really looks like Loke's twin and I heard from Erza that the trimen from Blue Pegasus will stay in town for a while, so it must be him" she smiled at her friend, but deep inside she was starting to panic. _No! Lucy, get a grip on yourself. You trust Loke, he'll never do this to you._

"But Lu-chan…" before Levy could continue, Lucy cut her off, a little harsher than she should have.

"Look" Lucy started with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "I trust Loke, I appreciate that you are just trying to help, but I assure you that everything is just fine. So if you have nothing else to say, I suggest you should start to go home since it's already getting late"

Levy, being the pacifist that she was, didn't argue and longer and just nodded her head. When she was out of the house, she looked at Lucy one last time and apologized to her.

"I'm sorry to upset you Lu-chan, I didn't mean to hurt you" she said as she bowed her head.

Lucy, feeling a bit guilty on her treatment earlier to her friend, gave her a smile and replied, "it's okay Levy-chan, no harm done"

The two of them said their goodbyes, when Levy was out of sight; Lucy closed the door and sat on the floor. Tears were starting to form from the young celestial spirit mage's eyes and she started to sob.

"Loke…"

Back at the date, Cana and Loke just finished they're dinner and Cana invited Loke back to her apartment for a little "fun time". The lion spirit excitedly nodded his head and quickly followed her outside. When they arrived at Cana's place, Cana started to strip slowly in front of Loke, making him feel hotter than before. He wanted to jump on her and rip her clothes apart…and because of his partial animal instincts, that's what he did. They kissed passionately; he was exploring her body parts as she was starting to explore his. Before they could go any further, a familiar face flashed on Loke's mind. It was a picture of a beautiful blonde woman that saved his life when he was about to disappear a few years back. She was the same woman that he promised to love forever, and the only woman that he will love for all of eternity. Those promises echoed in his head as he quickly parted his lips from Cana. The sexy mage could only just stare at him, wondering what his problem is.

"I-I'm sorry beautiful, but it seems like my energy has been used up, it's the first time a woman has drained me like that" he lied. He was trying to find an excuse to disappear without disappointing her.

"What the hell? I'm getting horny Loke, and I won't just let you go away without doing something about my raging libido!" she yelled angrily at the retreating spirit.

"I'm really sorry…here" Loke got something out of his jacket and tossed it to Cana.

"What's this?" asked a confused Cana

"It's a pickle. I'm pretty sure you'll know what to do with it. I promise not to disappoint you next time beautiful" he winked at her and started to disappear.

"Fine! But the next time you do something like this again, I'm going to kill you!"

Loke just smirked as he disappeared and got back to Lucy's apartment. Since he was a spirit, he was able to mask away any scent Cana had, and was able to quickly change into a new pair of clothes.

He was about to slip into his bed when a familiar voice caught his attention.

"Where were you?" Lucy asked sternly.

Loke cringed but kept his composure; he slowly turned around and smiled at her.

"I told you, I went on a secret mission that the spirit king ordered me to do. As proof, here's the token of appreciation the king gave me when I returned" Loke took out a faux golden medal with the spirit king's signature that he forged earlier. Lucy believed every word he said, but started to open up what Levy told her.

"Oh…it's just a little bird told me that you and Cana went out on a date and you kissed her. I was just wondering if you had any idea about this".

"What!" Loke said incredulously. _Shit! Somebody saw us. Quick! Think of something._

"You know I'll never do that to you…don't you trust me?" he said with a pout. He knew that the guilt trick would work every time. And he was right. Lucy suddenly mumbled an apology to him.

"I'm sorry, of course not. I..I…just wanted to make sure".

"It's ok my dear princess, rest assured, you're the only girl in my life!"

"Thanks Loke, that means a lot to me".

He felt disgusted, he did not want to hurt her but he has no choice. He admits that the spark that he felt with Cana was no longer there, but he needed a form of stress release, and who was better in playing the role than the queen of promiscuity herself, right?

He wanted to do it to Lucy, but he was planning to save her virginity for their honeymoon. Unlike Cana, he treats his future loving session with Lucy as someone sacred and should only be reserved for that special occasion. But little does he know, his action does not justify the means.

_That was a close call; I should be more careful next time. I could not afford to get caught again._

* * *

><p>Author's note: That ends this chapter. Finally, my first story that reached the 10,000 word mark. I'm pretty happy about that. Anyway, what do you guys think? Please read and review. For the Loke fans out there; please don't send me death threats or plans on killing me. ^_^" He'll redeem himself later on…somehow, but for now, he's a…you know what I mean. ^_^<p>

Song that inspired this chapter:

Rumor Has It by Adele


	8. Your Love Is A Lie

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews guys, hope you'd enjoy this chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own fairy tail, etc. etc.

* * *

><p>Days…weeks…months have passed and Lucy was still oblivious to Loke's womanizing ways behind her back. Likewise, Cana still has no idea that Loke was already in a relationship with Lucy. The lion spirit really does know how to play his tricks and was enjoying his time being the master puppeteer of his two beloved puppets. He was slowly turning numb from the initial feelings of guilt that he felt during his first time cheating on Lucy, and accepted his attitude by thinking that he can't change who he is.<p>

They would still regularly go out on dates, and everytime Lucy plans to have a night out with her friends, Loke would grab the opportunity to meet up with his "stress release". He felt good about it, as nothing made him feel manlier than making a woman scream for his name on a note higher than he could ever imagine. Cana would always request him to stay, but the spirit would always decline her offer, stating that he needs to do things and it would be very awkward if Lucy summoned him and caught them having their sexy time.

This was Loke's first big mistake. Upon hearing the name of Lucy, Cana asked him about her since she hasn't seen her in a while and wondered about the progress of her personal life.

"Speaking of Lucy, haven't seen that chick in a while, does she already have a boyfriend?" she asked Loke, nudging his arm.

"Uhh, well…" _Crap! Bad move. _Loke felt uneasy with the question. If he told Cana that they were together, all hell will break loose. On the other hand, what kind of guy would he be if he denied his love for the person that meant the world to him? But if you look at it, he was already the lowest of the lowest creatures and denying his love couldn't make him possibly worse.

"I think she's still single"

Cana left out a loud laugh, "That Lucy! I better hook her up with one of my past boyfriends, or she will die a virgin!"

"NO!" Loke shouted, his abrupt reply shocked and confused the other fairy tail wizard.

"Eh? Why not?"

"Uh…" Loke paused for a while, carefully thinking of what to say to Cana. "I think she should find love on her own, that way it would be more genuine and sweet"

"Woah! Says the guy who hooks up with every girl that he sees" Cana smirked then gave him a small kiss. "But I'm really happy that you ended up with me".

"Yeah…" was the only thing Loke could say.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, our favourite celestial spirit mage was hanging out with her teammates. They just finished a quest and decided that they needed to reward themselves for a job well done.<p>

"Hey Luigi! What do you want to eat?"

"Damn it Natsu! Not that again! Call me that one more time and I'll never let you back in my house, you hear me!"

"Geez, I was just kidding. What's wrong with her?" Natsu whispered to himself. Just then, Happy flew closer to Natsu and whispered in his ear.

"I think she's having her PMS" and Natsu could only agree. Before they could turn around, a shoe was flung into their faces and the duo yelped in surprise.

"I HEARD THAT!"

This time, Erza joined the conversation, and intervened before Lucy could kill Natsu and Happy. Gray on the other hand was bored and decided to pick a fight with Natsu, leaving the two girls with their conversation.

"Is something bothering you Lucy?" asked Erza.

"No, nothing's bothering me" Lucy shook her hands, and Erza took this as a sign of her being defensive.

"Eh? Lucy. I'm not dumb, clearly something's bothering you"

"Fine…It's Loke"

Erza immediately requipped to her Heaven's wheel armor as hundreds of swords floated around her.

"Did he hurt you?"

Lucy sweatdropped. She knows that Erza is very protective, but this time she was going overboard.

"It's nothing like that. Lately he has been really considerate towards my needs, unlike a few months ago, he'll get angry because I don't spend enough time with him. It's like after we make up on our last fight, he changed into an entire new person,"

"I see…though I might be missing something here, but…what's wrong with that?" Erza asked the slightly disturbed spirit mage.

"It's just…I feel like things are too good to be true. I think there's something that I'm not seeing"

"Hm." Erza nodded before giving out her reply. "Do you trust him?"

"Of Course! With all of my life, he promised me he will never hurt me!" Lucy immediately answered her friend.

Erza gave her friend a small smile before she continued. "There you go. I know Loke does not have a great history when it comes to women, but I think he loves you too much to break his promise"

"Yeah, you're right. It's all probably in my head" and Lucy returned the smile to her good friend, no longer disturbed by her thoughts about Loke.

* * *

><p><em>That evening...<em>

"Finally it's done!" Lucy shouted in victory.

"What's done princess?" asked the curious lion.

"My novel! I got to tell Levy about this!" the spirit mage excitedly pulled out her phone and called Levy.

"Hey Levy! Guess what! My novel's finished and I want you to read it..."

"Yeah, Uhuh, where's that? Oh okay. This Tuesday? I'll ask Loke about it first" Lucy told her bestfriend as she faced Loke, looking for any signs of approval. The spirit just smiled at her and nodded his head.

"Tuesday it is!" and with that, the two friends said their goodbyes and Lucy hang up.

"So where are you going?"

"At _Hao Chi, _around 7pm"

"Hao what? Where's that?"

"_Hao Chi. _It's the new Chinese restaurant near the guild" Lucy corrected Loke. "You want to come with?"

"Tempting, there's nothing more interesting than talking about books, fictional characters, and gushy romance with two love stricken ladies on a Tuesday night" Loke said sarcastically, but it was in a joking manner.

Lucy crossed her arms and pouted. "Hmph, don't talk to me"

Loke immediately wrapped his arms around her, and slowly cradled her like a child. "I was just kidding" he chuckled.

"Yeah yeah, I know" Lucy chuckled back.

"Have a great time though, I know the both of you are excited with your novel"

"Uhuh. *Yawns* I'm getting sleepy Loke, see you tomorrow" as Lucy went to her bed, and in no time, fell asleep.

"Goodnight princess" and Loke gave a small kiss on her forehead before going back to the spirit world.

"But he wasn't sleepy yet, he immediately took out his phone and texted Cana.

**To: Cana**

**Message:**

**Hey beautiful. ;) Wanna go out this Tuesday?**

_From: Cana_

_Message:_

_Hey yourself handsome, where are we going?_

_Loke smirked before typing his reply._

**To: Cana**

**Message:**

**Hmm…where do you wanna go?**

_From: Cana_

_Message:_

_I heard the new place near the guild served great food. I think it's called Hao Chi._

Loke cringed at the reply, it was a good thing he was just texting her, otherwise it would have been obvious.

**To: Cana**

**Message:**

**Uh, how about some place else? That place might be jam packed since it's relatively new. How about Sushi Palace?**

_From: Cana_

_Message:_

_Sounds great! What time will you pick me up?_

"7 is too early, Lucy might still be home by that time, knowing women…there should always be an adjustment of at least an hour just to make sure" Loke thought before deciding on the time

**To: Cana**

**Message:**

**Around 8 my dear. Good Night.**

_From: Cana_

_Message:_

_Good night to you too hot stuff ;)_

* * *

><p><em>Tuesday, 7pm<em>

"Loke, Levy is here, we're gonna go now" Lucy gave him a small kissed and waved his hand when she was almost out of the house.

"Have a great time princess!" Loke said as he waved back.

When she was out of sight, he quickly transformed into his suit and immediately brought out the bouquet of flowers he bought the other day. He then went to Cana's house and picked her up. They exchanged compliments on how the other looked great before going to Sushi palace.

Lucy and Levy on the other hand, just had the worst luck.

"Xiao jie men, wan an! Dui bu qi. Dan shi, xian zai wo men mei you kong que xi wei"

"Huh?" the girls said in unison. Upon realizing that they did not understand her, the manager quickly apologized and translated her words.

"I'm sorry. We thought you are Chinese. We assume only Chinese customers eat here. Anyway, I'm sorry to inform both of you that we have no vacant seats at the moment, for some odd reason a lot of people decided to eat here tonight"

"Oh, thanks" the girls said disappointed as they left the restaurant.

"So where do we go now?" asked Levy.

"I'm really hungry, what's the nearest restaurant here?" Lucy grumbled as she placed her hand on her tummy.

"Sushi palace, I think"

"Great! Let's go" Lucy dragged Levy as they proceeded to Sushi Palace, little do they know what surprise was waiting for them.

* * *

><p>"Here's a toast to the most beautiful girl I have ever seen!" Loke said as he lifted his glass of champagne and made a toast with Cana.<p>

"Aww, just for that, you deserve a big kiss!"

"A kiss where?" Loke smirked and winked at the Cana at the same time.

"Pervert!" But nonetheless, Cana found it amusing and decided to play along. "Where do you want?" and this time, she winked back.

"Woot woo!" Loke whistled. They were about two feet apart, and they slowly got a little closer, inch by inch, then when they were centimetres apart, they stopped. Both of them smiled and then quickly attacked one another with their lips, their kiss was so intense that they were oblivious to their surroundings, including to the newly arrived mages.

"LOKE!" Lucy shouted as tears started to form in her eyes.

"Lucy!" Loke suddenly let go of Cana and looked at her direction. He stood up, but before he could even move, Lucy already sprinted out of the place, followed by Levy, who gave him a disapproving look. Still, he chased after them and left Cana all alone.

The card wielder was both shocked and confused at the same time. _What just happened? _was all she could ask before drinking another glass of champagne.

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><p>Author's note: The next chapters are going to be intense, I hope you guys would review, and if you're starting to hate Loke now, the succeeding chapters might make you pity him. That's all. ^_^<p>

Songs that inspired this chapter:

Your Love Is a Lie by Simple Plan

and

Behind These Hazel Eyes by Kelly Clarkson


	9. Jar Of Hearts

Author's Note: Sad chapter up ahead, hope you guys would like it. Thanks for the reviews and constructive criticism. ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own fairy tail, etc. etc.

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><p>Lucy lost track of time as she kept on running; she doesn't care where she's going as long as it was as far away from the dreaded scene as possible. Tears were streaming down of her eyes, and the voices calling her back aren't making it any better. The panting female voice that was calling for her name finally stopped, but the more masculine voice was determined in pursuing her no matter wherever she goes.<p>

After sometime, Lucy can no longer bear it and finally stopped. She turned around and without skipping a beat, yelled at the person coming near her.

"What the hell do you want!" Pain and anger were evident on her fragile voice. Seeing her in this state made the incoming figure feel guilty. Usually, when he sees her like this, he quickly finds the culprit and beat them up until they beg for mercy. But this time though, he was the reason why she was in a very vulnerable state. He can never forgive himself, but it's already too late. The damage has been done and he'll be considered lucky if she would still talk to him. Nonetheless, he took the chance in trying to reconcile with her even if it seemed futile.

"Lucy…I'm sorry. There was nothing going on bet-"

"SHUT UP!"

Loke was harshly cut off by Lucy. He paused for a while, anticipating for her to talk and vent out all of her emotions.

"How many more girls are you cheating on Loke? Is playing with other people's hearts what you call fun?"

"No Lucy, it's not like that, what you saw a while ago didn't mean anything to me" Loke defended.

"Lies! Who are you kidding Loke? You think I'd believe something as cliché as that?" she gave a sarcastic snarl before she continued, "Come on! I thought you could have been more creative than that".

Loke sighed. He knew the situation will inevitably go bad, but he hoped that somehow…somehow she'll see that he was telling her the truth.

"Lucy, believe it or not, the only reason why I went out with Cana is because I need a form of pleasure from all the sexual tension that I am feeling, kind of like a "stress release". I always wanted to do it with you, but I want to make your first time special, and what better time to do it than on our first honeymoon?" He told the celestial spirit mage. He was hoping that she'd understand, realize why he did what he did and forgive him for his mistakes. He was hoping that she'd flung into his arms and tell him that it was ok, and they could now start anew and move on with their lives.

Big mistake… Because instead of a hug, he got the biggest slap he ever had in the face. He saw an infuriated Lucy glaring daggers at him. If looks could kill he would have been dead...or be sent back to the spirit world since technically, he cannot die.

"You jerk!" Lucy refrained herself from using a more colourful vocabulary. Growing up in a very prude environment helped her euphemize some words that she always wanted to use, especially in situations like this.

"You thought that would make everything better! I never thought you'd stoop down to that level Loke, lying about your love for me was one thing, but using other girls as a form of pleasure? That's just pathetic!" Lucy said with outright disgust.

"But Lucy, I do lo—"

"Enough! I don't want to hear anything coming out from that filthy mouth of yours anymore!"

_Forced gate closure! _And before Loke could even react, he has already disappeared and was sent back to the spirit world. The celestial spirit mage sat down and continued on crying, releasing all of the pain and heartache that she felt because of Loke. Minutes have passed and the owner of the panting female voice has arrived at the scene. She saw her bestfriend crying and approached her slowly.

"There…you…are…Lu-chan" she said while grasping for air, obviously exhausted from all the running that she did.

"Levy-chan, I should have listened to you when you warned me about him. I'm so stupid!" Lucy said slowly, but once she finished her statement, she quickly hugged Levy and cried on her shoulder.

"There, there" Levy comforted her bestfriend. She was feeling a little guilty since she was one of the reasons why they got together in the first place. All she could hope and pray for is that her friend finds solace from all of the pain that she has endured and that she may find true happiness.

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><p>The next day at the guild, the tenacious lion decided to pay her a visit and continue his apology to her. He thought that maybe she has finally calmed down and would listen to his reason and forgive him for what happened last night. When he opened the door, all eyes were on him, including that of the celestial spirit mage.<p>

Upon seeing his arrival, she quickly stood up and walked towards the door. When she passed through him, he grabbed her arm, and turned her around. Silence ensued as their gazes met, his was soft and gentle, while hers were sharp and deadly. He finally spoke up and talked to her in a gentle manner.

"Can we talk, please?" Loke told her with pleading eyes. But this only annoyed her more as she yanked her arm away from his grip.

"We have nothing to talk about" she told him bitterly as she proceeded towards the exit. He was about to follow her when somebody pulled his arm. It was the card wielder and she doesn't look happy. Tears were forming in her eyes as she slapped Loke straight to the face. The hit connected so hard that the sound echoed in the entire guild.

"Stress release huh?" Cana said with a hurt tone, she cannot believe that of all people, it was Loke who used her for her sexuality. She thought that something special has bloomed between them, and maybe those three years of friendship would refrain him from doing something like this to her. But she was dead wrong; Lucy filled her in about everything. She felt angry, sad, hurt, and embarrassed. It made her feel like a dirty tramp, and to hurt someone as nice as Lucy made her feel disgusted with herself. But because of her good nature, Lucy assured her that she won't take it against her since she didn't know she had a relationship with Loke.

"I always knew you were a playboy, but I never knew that you'd do that to your fellow guildmates, let alone to your friends. Well guess what? I salute my middle finger to guys like you" she finished and gave him a mocked salute before going back to her barrel of beer.

Loke was becoming more ashamed as bits and pieces of realization struck his mind. He continued towards the door when he saw two figures blocking the way.

"And where do you think you're going?" Gray told him, ice shards were starting to form in his hands.

But before he can utter a reply, a flaming fist hit him square to the jaw. He was continuously pounded by his assailant, giving him no time to react at all.

"HOW COULD YOU, YOU IDIOT!" Natsu screamed as he kept on punching at Loke's face.

"You were her first boyfriend. Don't you know the reason why she was afraid to fall in love is because she's afraid of someone breaking her heart? I know that you always knew that she had a fragile heart, and yet…and yet you did this to her! BAKA!" Gray told him, as he sent his Ice lance towards him. The shards of ice sent the lion spirit flying across the room. He didn't retaliate, he knew he deserved all of this and he was wishing for more. Hopefully going through all of this could somehow atone for his sins and purify his tainted soul.

Before the duo could lash out another set of attacks, they were stopped by no other than Erza herself. As usual, she has that calm, stoic expression on her face. She approached Loke and took out one of her swords telling Loke what will happen next. The lion just looked at her, unfazed at what his fate will be. He knew he wouldn't die, but spirits can feel the pain of being cut in half, and it was painful enough to make them wish for death. She retracted the sword, and was about to strike Loke with all of her might. Loke closed his eyes as he anticipated the blow, but before the sword could even touch him, Erza stopped.

"What? What are you waiting for!" Loke screamed, pleading for Erza to strike him. "Please…please hit me, it's the only way that I can pay for my sins" Loke continued.

"No, it's not what Lucy would have wanted" Erza returned her sword back to where she got it and looked at Loke's eyes.

"If you really wanted to make up for your sins, I suggest you never show up again. If you still have any ounce of respect for her or even to yourself, don't go near her or even show your face to her. Because if I find out that you hurt her one more time, I swear I'd go to the spirit world, and hunt you down. I don't care if you would not die, but I'd inflict all the pain that I can until the day I can't do it anymore. Do I make myself clear?"

Loke thought for a while. He actually wanted Erza to continuously hurt him in order to make it up to Lucy. But what she told him about respecting Lucy hit him hard; he knew that she deserved to be happy and he was the reason why she was feeling like this in the first place. He finally agreed and promised not to force open his gate unless summoned by Lucy herself. But he did ask for one condition. "But if Lucy was in a life-threatening situation, and none of you guys are there to help her, I'd force my gate open and save her even if you'd cut me in half".

Erza just nodded and turned around; she went out of the guild together with Natsu and Gray in order to go on a mission. Loke on the other hand, disappeared and returned to the spirit world, trying to register everything that just had happened.

Meanwhile, back in her home, a bottle of potassium chloride and a used syringe was lying at the top of her table. Lucy was in a fetal position hugging her knees for comfort from all of the pain that she was feeling. She reminisced from the day that they became officially together, to what have happened last night. She thought about all of those false promises and those lies about his declaration of love for her. It made her feel stupid thinking that her prince charming has finally arrived, someone who would love her and protect her from harm no matter what. But never did she think that that person would be the one who would hurt her the most and put her in this lonely disposition. Those memories made her cringe as a new set of tears started to form in her eyes.

"Loke…just who do you think you are?" she mumbled as she finally closed her eyes, her mind started drifting to oblivion.

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><p>Author's note: So how did you guys find this chapter? Please leave a review. The final paragraph was a reference to a schoolmate who committed suicide. To those who are wondering, potassium chloride in excess, causes cardiac arrest. But did Lucy commit suicide? That still remains inconclusive. By the way, I'd be on a hiatus for a month since finals+thesis is a really painful combination. I need to devote my time for my studies, but I will not abandon this story, since some of you might hunt me down and only God knows what you'll do to me. I promise to update this twice or thrice as fast once I return.<p>

Song that inspired this chapter:

Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri


	10. Almost Lover

Author's Note: School's finally over and I fortunately passed all the subjects! As promised, I'd update this story and I hope people are still reading this.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairytail

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><p><em>Tick…tock…tick…tock<em>, time was really running slow for the melancholic lion. Regret was clearly drawn in his face, as he kept on thinking of the "what ifs" that could have resulted to a more favourable outcome. He was mentally torturing himself, he knew that he could never change the past, but somehow, he was still refusing to let go of it, possibly because it might be the last time that he'll see Lucy. He silently chuckled as he never thought he'd rue the day that he cheated on his girlfriend. Thousands of years of existence and nothing like this has ever happened to him.

_Tick…tock…tick…tock_, the loud sound of the stupid clock annoyed the contemplating lion. He realized that the sound was getting fainter and as he stared at the clock, something surprised him. It wasn't moving at all, yet the sound was loud and clear, but at the same time, the ticks and tocks were getting slower as if it was going to stop. A realization suddenly hit the spirit as he showed signs of panic and alarm. And before another tick was heard, he quickly disappeared.

Meanwhile on Earthland, Lucy just woke up and was still quite dizzy, kind of like the feeling of having a hangover. She looked at the room and realized she wasn't in her own home.

"Whe…where am I? Did it work?" Lucy asked a little out loud. The nurse overheard her and quietly went inside her room.

"You're in the hospital miss, a tall man with orange flaming hair and blue glasses in a tuxedo rushed you here a few hours ago. Lucky for you, your pulse rate was really low, and a little few minutes sooner you would have crossed the other side", the nurse explained.

"That's what I intended…", Lucy whispered to herself.

"You said something honey?", asked the curious nurse.

"Oh nothing, thanks for taking care of me", Lucy gave out a fake smile to the nurse.

"No problem, now get some rest", the nurse said before she went out of the room.

_Damn you Loke! Why do you have to mess up everything? You think saving me makes everything better? Well you're wrong and there's nothing you can do to make everything better again. _Lucy was furious with her thoughts; they were so angry that it gave her a migraine, something she was accustomed to because of Natsu and Happy's constant trespassing antics on her home. She decided that she hasn't recovered yet and went back to sleep. At least in her dreams, she can have her happy ever after. No matter how pathetic it sounds, it was the only choice that she had.

* * *

><p>Weeks have passed and Lucy has finally recovered and was discharged from the hospital. She was starting to go back on missions with her teammates and was seemingly having the time of her life. The strongest team was finally complete again and this made the members happy, but they were careful in not opening up anything about the events that happened between her and Loke. She also started going out with Levy and Mira too. They resumed having dinner dates, going to book club nights, and watching cheesy movies. Yes, in other people's eyes, Lucy finally moved on, but deep inside, it was all a façade that she had to put together in order to avoid seeing people pity her. She hated being regarded as weak, and she has to show them that what happened no longer bothered her and she has finally moved on with her life. It was really hard, smiling on the outside but dying on the inside, but she's used to it, those times with her father when she was growing up, and how he treated her despite of her best efforts to be close to him was a prime example, how could this situation be any different, right?<p>

During Lucy's date with Mira and Levy, things were getting great, until an awkward conversation ensued.

"I'm glad you're hanging with us again Lu-chan!"

"Yeah, I'm happy to Levy-chan, this is really great, I missed it a lot!"

"We should do this some other time, I know! Let's watch Devil Crisis 3!" Mirajane suggested as her eyes glint evilly coupled by a malicious grin, those were signs that her Satan Soul was starting to take over.

The two other girls sweat dropped at Mira's suggestion.

"Uh…" Levy started. "How about some cheesy romantic movie with our boyf-oomf"

Mira sharply elbowed Levy's stomach upon hearing the suggestion.

"Hey! What did you do that for!" Levy said angrily as she followed the direction of Mira's eyes. She finally saw Lucy's changed expression. "Oh god! I'm sorry Lucy!"

"No, no, it's ok, really", Lucy flashed a fake smile before continuing "oh look at the time, it's getting late, I need to go"

"Oh…ok", the two other girls said in unison, they know that touching the delicate issue would make things worse; saying nothing was their best option.

Lucy grabbed her things, said goodbye, and went straight home. When she arrived, she bawled her eyes out. For some reason, the pain was fresh again, and she can't understand why it came back. That night, she cried herself to sleep, unaware of the stranger sadly looking at her.

* * *

><p>A few more months have passed and she was genuinely getting the hang of it. <em>Loke-who? <em>She'd jokingly ask herself. She was ready; she was finally ready on what she wanted to do ever since she found out about what Loke did to her. And today is the day that she'd finally do it.

Meanwhile, Loke was still depressed on what happened, everyday was torture to the lion, he seems to be incapable of forgetting Lucy. In his situation, death is a sweet reward while life is just a cruel punishment. But he was still hoping, hoping that someday Lucy will finally open his gate and forgive him.

Lucy started to walk downtown near the harbour. She started to reminisce on those times that they were together.

"I love you Lucy…"

"You're the only girl for me…"  
>"I promise I will never leave you…"<p>

"Lies…" Lucy said, but there was no hint of bitterness in her voice, it was more of an indifferent tone and it actually was. Her heart has finally turned numb towards any feelings for Loke. Not happy, sad, angry, jealous, or even hurt. It was just plain dry.

She kept on walking and walking when it started to rain. The gloomy weather left her unfazed as she continued going to her destination. Memories of what used to be started to envelop her mind, like it was trying to stop her on what she was about to do. But it was all futile, she did not even cringe at the sudden thoughts. When she finally arrived, she took out Loke's key from her pocket.

"Goodbye Loke…"

Those were her final words as she threw Loke's key to the ocean. And you know what? She didn't feel any regret, not even a little.

In the spirit world, Loke felt the suddenly weakened, like some part of him disappeared.

"No…NO! It can't be!" Loke said in surprise. What he dreaded the most has finally came, it was this day, the day that Lucy Heartfilia has finally decided to let go of him. He tried to open his gate, but he was unable to. Because he was no longer Lucy's spirit, his strength got weaker, hence, the inability to open his gate on his own.

"LUCYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" he screamed, however they only fell on deaf ears.

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><p>Author's Note: Please review. I'm glad that I was able to update, I've got a lot of catching up to do. Thanks in advance ^_^<p>

Song that inspired this chapter:

Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy


	11. Chapter 11

Author's note: Thanks for the review guys, I'm glad that there are still people reading this. ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail

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><p>A year has passed and still there's no sign of Lucy. Loke was in a state of desperation, normally he'll let his pride get the best of him, but his love for Lucy somehow humbles him in ways that he never thought could happen. Initially, the other spirits hated Loke for what he has done, but after swallowing his pride and beg the other spirits to update him about Lucy's life, they all pitied him and told him about the current events in Lucy's life. Of course, in every conversation that will ensue, Loke will never forget to ask one question.<p>

"Does he have a new boyfriend yet?", Loke asked the obviously tired sheep after she was sent back to the spirit world.

"For the nth time Loke-san, no, Lucy-chan has no boyfriend yet", Aries gave a big yawn, telling Loke that she was still recovering from her previous fight.

"Ok, thank you Aries", he said as he left her house and went to his own home. Once he arrived there, he locked his door and sulked in his sofa, he knows that whatever happens, Lucy will never forgive him from what he did. But he isn't just the type of person to give up, especially on Lucy, the only woman that he truly loved.

Suddenly, a yellow glowing circle appeared while he was thinking. It startled him for a while; it was strange, but at the same time very familiar. After sometime, he realized that it was his gate. He couldn't believe it and immediately went near it. In no time at all, he was transported to Earthland and the queasy ride gave him a slight headache. When he got to his senses, everything was familiar, the blue curtained windows, the bed with pink sheets, even the smell of the room. Then at the corner of his eye, he saw a figure. It was, it was Lucy! She was smiling radiantly at him, as if nothing bad has happened between them in the past.

"Lu…Lucy!" Loke exclaimed, still shocked at what he was seeing.

"Hi Loke" Lucy beamed at him. "The reason why I summoned you here is that I need to tell you something. I've been thinking for a year now, and I guess you've already learned your lesson"

Loke nodded frantically, anticipating on what she is going to say next.

Lucy ran and attacked Loke with a giant hug. "I missed you, you idiot! I forgive you and I hope that you won't do anything like that ever again", she said as tears started to fall down of her cheeks.

Loke was startled at first, but when everything sink in, he can't help but smile as tears of joy started to fall down of his face. "Lucy, I'm really sorry. I love you so much. I know I was foolish for doing an incredibly stupid thing to you, but now I've changed. I'll never let anyone make you cry again, even myself".

They parted from the hug and he leaned closer to kiss her. She reciprocated the kiss and the touch of her lips brought a nostalgic familiarity to the lion. He longed for this day to come and he was glad that it finally came. It was an eternal bliss for him that they resumed back to their normal lives, like nothing bad has happened to them. Surprisingly, even Cana and the other guild members forgave him. Everything was turning out great.

The whole week, Loke would take Lucy on dates like the way they did when they first started dating. He would knock on her door, usher her to the car, and bring her a bouquet of flowers with a box of chocolates. Lucy on the other hand would summon him on missions; this made Loke really glad as he was able to protect Lucy again. Eventhough things get tough; he refuses to give up and kept on fighting until he runs out of energy. Because of his unbelievable determination, he'd always win his fights no matter how hopeless they seemed.

On the Saturday night of that same week, they decided to have a date on Lucy's apartment. They needed to catch up on things so a one-on-one time was a great idea.

"So what have you been doing the past 12 months?" asked Loke.

"Oh the usual, doing missions, hanging out with Levy and Mira…Natsu and Happy bugging me to death", Lucy said, giving emphasis on the last statement. Loke can't help but chuckle at the thought of Natsu bugging Lucy. _Some things just never change._

"How about you? What have you been doing the past 12 months?" Lucy asked, curiosity was obvious in her voice.

"Thinking of you…"Loke said while looking at her with a warm smile. Lucy blushed at his statement.

"Oh…" was all she could say, still dazed by what she just heard.

Loke gave another chuckle at how Lucy looked. "You look so cute when you do that", Loke said with a childish voice as he pinched Lucy's cheeks.

"Stop it!", Lucy said trying to be serious.

"Hmph!", Loke crossed his arms and pouted like a kid.

"Awww, hahaha, I missed this", she said while looking at Loke's eyes.

Loke cupped her cheeks and looked at her intently. "Yeah, I missed us". They closed their eyes as they leaned closer to one another. Time slowly moved as inch by inch their faces get nearer. He could feel her breath, and she could definitely feel his. They were about to kiss, when suddenly…

_.Beep._

"Argh" Loke moaned as he scratched his head. He rose from his bed and looked at his surroundings. "Lucy?" he asked in the blank space of his bedroom. It took a little while before everything registered in his mind.

"Oh…It was only just a dream", he sighed as he stared at his ceiling, wondering about what's happening in Lucy's life.

_Meanwhile…_

In Earthland, two floating figures were carrying something shiny. They gave it to a mysterious figure hiding in the shadows.

"Eh? What's this?" asked the mysterious figure.

"…" was the only response.

After looking at it carefully, the stranger was shocked with what they saw.

"This! This is the key of Leo the Lion!"

"…"

"Good job to the both of you, with this, we'll be invincible!" was what the mysterious figure said as a sadistically evil smile crept on their face.

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><p>Author's note: Got You! Haha, so how did you like the dream? I didn't put the song title in this chapter so that you'd all be surprised. Also, who is this mysterious figure that got a hold on Loke's key? Any guesses? I'd be out again for a week again since I'll be going to Singapore this Lenten season. Heard it's a great country, I can't wait to visit. ^_^ Please review!<p> 


	12. If We Ever Meet Again

Author's Note: Hey, I'm back. Sorry for the late update. It took me a week to fully recover from my sleepless trip. Singapore and Malaysia were really beautiful, I wish I could have stayed longer…or stayed there ^_^. BTW, the song that inspired last chapter was Just A Dream by Nelly.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, etc. etc.

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><p>It was just another peaceful day at the guild, when suddenly, Makarov slammed the doors open with a panicked expression on his face. Everybody immediately understood that there's a serious situation going on and seeing Makarov in this state made most of the members curious about what just happened.<p>

"EVERYBODY! Listen up, the Magic Council just called and they informed me that three main dark guilds under the Balam Alliance had escaped from prison. They were suspecting it was an inside job, but there are still no findings on what had happen. It happened last month but they decided not to inform us immediately as not to cause any form of panic. However, they can no longer handle the situation and asked three of the strongest guilds to help out. Lamia Scale is in charge in finding Grimoire Heart, Blue Pegasus is going to look for Tartaros, and we were assigned with Oracion Seis. This is a serious matter as no one knows where these guilds are and what they are up to. So I'm going to choose six of you to go in this mission. Erza, Mira, Gajeel, Gray, Natsu, Lucy, I choose the six of you to go in this mission", Makarov was about to end his statement when he was suddenly interrupted by a raging Juvia.

"That's unfair! Juvia should go with Gray-sama! Not fair if love rival goes and Juvia stays behind!" Juvia protested.

"QUIET! This is a serious matter Juvia. Sigh, but if you insist, I'll let you come along", Makarov said in defeat.

"Juvi!" The rain woman exclaimed with joy as thoughts of her alone time with Gray started to form in her wandering mind.

Meanwhile, the other members don't look as enthusiastic as Juvia. They have fought Oracion Seis before and they know this will be a tough battle. Even Natsu's high spirit seems to be missing as he was evidently disturbed by the situation. He knew that the only reason why he won last time was because Jellal offered his power to him, now…he's not sure on how they will win again. But he's not losing hope, he knows that they'll win because he has his friends with him.

Before the day of their departure, the group talked about who's going to face who if ever they got scattered or anything uneventful has happened.

"I'd take on Brain! He has Zero chance in winning against me!" Natsu said with as much confidence as he can.

Right there and then, Erza rolled her newspaper and smacked him in the head.

"Ow! What did you do that for?" Natsu asked with annoyance.

"First, that was a lousy pun. Second, we should think it through first. From what I remember, Hoteye became a good guy after the thing that happened with Nirvana. Racer is presumambly dead, and Cuberos is now a part of our guild, so Cobra might have no pet to aid him in battle.

Since there's seven of us and just four of them, I think it will be effective if some of us team up in order to defeat Oracion Seis. Let's talk about their abilities first.

Brain uses dark magic, that's why I think Mira would be a great choice in going against him. I remembered her fight with Freed and she easily took him out with her own dark magic. Of course, Brain is a bigger threat, so I'm assigning Juvia to go with her", Erza explained. Mira nodded in response but Juvia started to talk.

"But—"she stopped talking once she saw Erza's glaring eyes. She made a huge gulp and nodded her head also.

"I'd go after Midnight, I've defeated him before and I know his weakness fully well. Natsu and Gajeel, both of you are Dragon slayers, so you guys should be familiar with Cobra's moves as he is a dragon slayer too", the two dragon slayers would have complained about how they can do the mission without the help of the other, but after seeing Erza's reaction to Juvia's response, they decided it's best to keep their thoughts to themselves.

"And lastly, Gray and Lucy, you guys are in charge of Angel. I know you guys could defeat her easily, especially now that you have her keys Lucy", Erza reassured her with a smile.

Lucy smiled back at she looked at her four silver keys and nine…wait, nine? She was missing one key! She was about to panic when she remembered what happened a year and two months ago. _Oh that's right, I threw away his key._ She was starting to get sad, not because she still has any feelings for him, but because of the fact that they will never be able to fix the relationship that they once had, even just as friends. She shook the feeling away before anyone could notice her sudden mood shift, focusing back on what Erza is talking about.

On the day of the mission, they set out to find the wanted guild. They search through mountains, valleys, forests, even neighbouring countries, but to no avail. Until one evening, while on their way home, Natsu accidentally tripped on a piece of rock. It was fairly huge and it rolled over to the edge of a cliff. Once it fell, the ground started to shake as a huge house appeared in the cliff.

The house was pretty huge and it brought an eerie aura to Natsu and his friends. The front door slowly opened and the team was greeted by creepy smiles by the members of the Oracion Seis. The team anticipated for an attack but what happened next baffled them. As quick as they can, the members dispersed in different directions. Brain went to the mountains, Midnight went inside a cave, Cobra swam across the river, and Angel went towards the forest.

"Quick, everybody! Chase after your designated targets", Erza commanded. Everybody nodded in response as they sprinted towards their targets.

Gray and Lucy were chasing after Angel. They were commanding her to stop, but she kept on running deeper in the forest. They were gaining speed when suddenly, a force hit them and they were sent stumbling backwards.

"No! It can't be!" Gray exclaimed in shock.

"Impossibe!" Lucy said with the same amount of shock in her voice.

"Surprised? Let's just say I've got a score to settle, and I have no intention to make this swift and painless", the stranger said as an evil smile formed in his face. He then started to charge towards Lucy and Gray. The two could only prepare for the impact.

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><p>Author's Note: I'm sorry if I always leave cliffhangers, but they're really fun to do ^_^. Do you guys have any clue on who this person is? Also, I'm almost finished with this story, but I', thinking of expanding it by adding the fight scenes between Oracion Seis and Fairy Tail. What do you guys think? Please Review ^_^<p>

Song that inspired this chapter:  
>If we ever meet again by Timbaland ft. Katy Perry<p> 


	13. What's Left Of Me

Author's Note: Hey guys, thanks for all the reviews. For those who thought that the mystery character from last chapter was Loke, I'm sorry but it isn't him. Read this chapter in order to find out. :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, etc. etc.

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><p><em>Pow! <em>Gray and Lucy hit the ground with so much impact, that it's a miracle that they were still able to stand and face their assailant.

"But…but…you're supposed to be dead…", Lucy was still in a state of shock. She's not sure if what she was seeing is real or is just another trap set up by Oracion Seis.

"And yet here I am, pretty much alive and kicking…but I can guarantee that you won't be once I'm done with you and ice boy over there", Racer said as he grinned at his victims, slowly analyzing and anticipating their next move. Unfortunately for him though, they weren't moving. This made him a little impatient. He hastily charged towards them, but what happened next surprised him.

The ground started to become slippery and as he looked down, he noticed that it was starting to get covered by ice.

"Ice-make: Ice Floor!" Gray shouted as he turned the whole area into his own little winter wonderland.

"Pretty clever kid, but that won't slow me down that much", Racer said with confidence. Gray could only smile at his opponent before he uttered a reply.

"I know that", Gray said as he quickly formed a barrier between Racer and Lucy. He then pushed her so hard that she was starting to slide down the path. The ice made her slide faster by reducing the friction, and she was almost away from ear-shot in no time at all. But before she disappeared, Gray told her to chase after Angel. But Lucy's reply was a little more inappropriate than expected.

"GRAY! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU ONCE THIS IS OVER!" he heard her scream. _Glad that she understood…_ Gray muttered to himself. Racer was about to follow her but Gray surrounded the area with ice walls, even added an ice ceiling.

"Not so fast, I'm your opponent this time. Real or unreal, I'm going to send you back in hell", Gray said with his cold expression.

"Brrrr, bring it on pretty boy", Racer taunted as the both of them charged towards each other.

Meanwhile, Lucy has finally stopped sliding down the slope and she tried to stand up while dusting off the dirt in her clothes. _That Gray…_ she mumbled as she kept on walking, looking for Angel in the woods. After a few minutes of searching, she finally saw her, standing in the middle of the forest where there were no trees nearby. She was smiling at her, as if knowing that she would eventually find her.

"So, you finally showed up", Angel said with her sweet little voice. But Lucy knows better than to underestimate her opponent. In the eyes of many, Angel may look like an innocent young lady, but Lucy knows that her true identity is a deadly force to reckon with.

"Let's just get this over with", Lucy said impatiently. "Gate of the Golden Bull, I open thee! Taurus!"

"Gemi, Mini, come out!" Angel shouted as the twin celestial spirits came out. Lucy was shocked with what she saw. This day was really full of surprises for her.

"But I got all your spirits when you were arrested!"

"Technically, you got all the spirits that I brought with me. I always leave Gemi and Mini's key back in the mansion just in case something unfortunate happens. Anyway, enough small talk, Gemi, Mini, transform!"

Gemi and Mini joined forces and mimicked Taurus. They started to attack each other, but their strengths are at par with one another that it seems like nobody is winning. Just then, Lucy took out another key and quickly opened Virgo's gate.

"Unison Raid: Spiked Fissure!", Lucy shouted as Virgo raised the ground with her earth ability, and Taurus swung his massive axe on it with all of his strength. They made an earthquake-like scenario and whirling spikes of earth quickly went towards the twins' direction. It made a direct hit, piercing them in the neck area as they winced in pain. They started to disappear and Angel was astonished with what she just saw.

"Impressive", Angel said in a calm manner.

"I…know", Lucy panted. It took her a lot of magic power to summon two spirits, but it was definitely worth it. Virgo and Taurus also got tired since it was their first time to perform a unison raid. They thanked Lucy for summoning them and returned back to the spirit world as well.

"Why don't you give up already Angel, you have no more golden keys left", Lucy said with overconfidence. She was sure that she got this one in the bag.

"Hmm?" Angel was amused by Lucy's command. "I won't get too cocky if I were you. Leo, come out!". A bright yellow circle formed in the area as particles started to form into a familiar tall figure that haunted Lucy for months. Loke has finally arrived at the scene, looking at Lucy with an indifferent expression on his face.

"Impossible! You…you traitor!" Lucy screamed, as tears started to form in her eyes. Loke did not even react. "Fine, but I will not lose, especially not to you", Lucy said with determination as she dried away her tears. "Gate of the Sheep, I open thee! Aries!"

Aries came out of her gate and was also shocked at seeing Loke. She did not understand the situation, but one look from Lucy's puffy eyes; told her that something was wrong. She fixed her stance and got ready for battle, it didn't matter that it was Loke, as long as she could protect Lucy. The two spirits clashed at each other, but obviously, the leader of the spirits was getting the upper hand. In no time at all, he was able to deliver the finishing blow.

Unknown to the celestial spirit wizards, the final blow also contained Loke's thoughts on what had happen to him and why he was acting that way. He has the ability to transfer his thoughts and skills to other spirits. Aries' eyes grew big and understood what Loke was going through. She then started to disappear, but before she was completely gone, she looked back at Lucy's direction with a sad expression on her face.

"I'm sorry…", was all she could say, and then she's gone.

"Aries! No!", Lucy screamed, she felt really weak as summoning three golden keys drained her magic power.

"Pathetic", Angel muttered. "Well, it looks like I'll finish this once and for all. Leo, kill her!"

Loke quickly looked at Angel's direction. His face was in complete horror; he was hoping he just heard her wrong. "Tch. Kill her! Or are you forgetting the contract?" Angel told the Lion spirit.

"Screw the contract! I won't let you do anything to her. If you want to kill her, you've got to go through me", the lion said as he stood in front of Lucy like a shield, defending her with all the strength that he has left.

Lucy did not fail to see this, as memories of the past started to come back to her. She thought that she'll never love him again, but all along, she was just trying to convince herself that she has completely moved on. Seeing his valiant effort in trying to protect her, it somehow convinced her that Loke really did love her. It made Lucy happy to be reunited with her prince again, those months of bitterness suddenly vanished, and a spark of gladness formed in her heart. The love of her life has finally returned.

"Loke…", she said as tears were starting to fall down of her cheeks. Loke looked back at her and he returned the warm smile Lucy gave him. "Lucy…"

While all of this was going on, Angel seized the opportunity and sent out her spirit, Caelum. Lucy and Loke were so oblivious with what's happening, that before they noticed the stream of energy going towards them, it was already too late.

"LUCY!" Loke screamed as Caelum's powerful cannon went through and through their bodies.

"Don't worry Leo, she'll die in a few minutes and so will you. After breaking your contract once again, you'll disappear forever! Ahahahaha", Angel said while laughing like a maniac. But Loke did not pay her any attention; he was too busy looking at his precious Lucy, slowly dying in his arms. He touched her hand, and his thoughts quickly transferred to her, making her see what had happen on that fateful day when Angel got a hold on his key.

_FLASHBACK_

"Gate of the Lion, Open!" Angel screamed.

"Huh? Where am I? Angel! How the hell did you get a hold of my key!", Loke exclaimed with anger. He was about to charge towards her but she raised her hand to stop him from doing something stupid.

"Listen. It seems like your old owner, Lucy, has thrown your key away. As a rule in the celestial spirit world, your contract no longer exists. Since I found your key, you have no other choice than to make a contract with me", Angel said.

"And what if I refuse?"

"Oh, I know a lot of things about you Leo. I know about how you were banished in the past, and that once you break another law, no matter how simple it is, you'll be banished from the spirit world forever", Angel's eyes glinted with malice as she told this information to the lion spirit.

"H-how! How did you know that?" Loke could not believe what he was hearing; he thought that nobody overheard the conversation between him and the spirit king.

"Let's just say two little birdies told me", she said with a sweet smile.

"Still, I rather disappear than to help a criminal like you!" Loke was really angry; he doesn't know how sensitive information like that got leaked in the human world.

"Really? Are you sure about that? Not seeing your precious princess again and fixing your relationship issues…FOREVER?" Angel gave an emphasis on the last word. This quickly changed Loke's mind as he decided to help her.

"Oh, and one more thing, In case we bump into them, you should not show any form of emotion and…you should do EVERYTHING that I say, clear?"

Loke hesitated for a while, but finally agreed. "Fine. But promise me, promise me you won't kill her or lay a finger on her", Loke said, hoping for Angel to agree.

"My dear lion, I can't make such promises. You just have to pray for that one", she said as she did a forced closure.

_END OF FLASHBACK_

Lucy was still crying, but she was happy and at peace. She caressed Loke's face, and the Lion could only cringe in her touch.

"Loke…" Lucy whispered weakly.

"Lucy, I'm really really sorry", Loke said trying not to choke in his tears. He was about to say something else, but Lucy quickly placed a finger in his lips.

"Shh…I forgive you", she said as she started to close her eyes. Loke could only stare at her, realizations hit him one by one as they reminded him on how he could have avoided the situation.

_Because of me, she's going to die. Because of me, her guild mates will be in despair. Because of me, her spirits will be under a cruel and evil master. All of these…because of me._

"Lucy…I love you", Loke said. Lucy did not reply as she took her final breath. But before she could finally let go, a smile has formed in her beautiful face. Loke looked at it and smiled as well. He knew it would only take time before he will completely disappear. Somehow, it made him happy that eventhough their reunion was short-lived, she was able to forgive him and it somehow mended the broken relationship that they had.

His only regret? If he did not went back to his old habits in the first place, maybe, just maybe, they could have had that happily ever after that she has always wanted.

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><p>Author's Note: How did you guys like it? I'm sorry that they died. Please don't kill or hunt me down. It was under the tragedy category so I did have a valid excuse to kill them off. :D Thank you for all the support, but the story ends here.<p>

Song that inspired this chapter:  
>What's Left of Me by Nich Lachey<p>

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Just kidding, this is not the end yet. I know you guys won't forgive me if this is the ending. ^_^


	14. Today, My Life Begins

Author's Note: Woah! I finally reached my goal of 50 reviews, thanks to everybody who gave their time in leaving their feedbacks for this story. I really appreciate them ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, etc. etc.

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><p>The all-seeing Spirit King was standing by when everything had happen. Having a deep sense of respect and gratitude towards the celestial spirit mage, he took Lucy and Leo's souls before they were snatched away by no other than Death himself. With his insurmountable power, he gave them a new life in the spirit world. However, because of Loke's second major offence, he won't make it easy for the lion spirit.<p>

"Wh—where am I?" Lucy exclaimed, still a bit groggy from the sudden ride from Earthland to the Spirit World.

"Lu-?...Lucy?", Loke asked, he wasn't sure if what he was seeing was real or not. Rather, he wasn't sure if who he was seeing was Lucy or not.

"Uhm…hi? Do I know you?", Lucy asked in return. She was genuinely clueless on who this person is, and the realization of him knowing her name crept her out.

"It's me! Loke!", he said, then smiled at her.

"Loke?", Lucy was surprised. He definitely does not look like Loke, but something tells her he was telling the truth. She was about to utter a reply, when a familiarly huge figure, with an equally huge moustache appeared in front of them.

"Greetings my friends!", the spirit king greeted. "Just a few minutes ago, both of you were killed in battle by the celestial spirit mage, Angel. But before death could snatch your souls, I quickly took them and decided to give you a new life here, in the spirit world", he said proudly. Then, he shifted his gaze towards Loke's direction and continued his speech. "Of course, since you, my old friend, have broken the law for the second time now, your corresponding punishment is inevitable", he said with a stern expression, but his eyes told them otherwise. It was clear that he did not want this to happen.

Loke only nodded in response, but Lucy started to protest.

"Please, please don't hurt him", Lucy pleaded.

"Ah, I'm sorry my good friend, but it has been decided. As much as I want to change the law, there are greater powers than me that forbid me from doing so", he said sadly, but whatever hint of emotion was seen in his face quickly disappeared. He then oriented them about Loke's punishment.

"First of all, as you can see, Lucy is no longer Lucy. Because of her good deeds in Earth land and wonderful relationship with the spirits from this kingdom, she's transformed after the goddess of dawn, Eos. While you my friend, are stripped down of your power as one of the twelve celestial spirits. You are now known as Orion, a powerful hunter, but still not as powerful as whom you once were. Also, for six months, the both of you could enjoy each other's company, living like lovers, etcetera, and etcetera. But let me tell you this, for the other six months, you'll be in exile, while Lucy can get a chance in meeting new spirits and have the opportunity to gain a new prospective lover", the spirit king ended, giving a sharp emphasis on the last two words. However, his statement left Loke unfazed, and this made the spirit king arch an eyebrow, intrigued at what's happening inside Loke's thoughts.

"Aren't you depressed? Lonely? Sad?" the spirit king asked.

"Sad? yes. But lonely? No." You may put me in exile for every six months of the year for the rest of my life, but I know Lucy. I maybe a selfish jerk that made some stupid decisions in my life, but Lucy is different. She'll never…she'll never hurt the ones she loved, even if it's me.

"Are you sure about that?" the spirit king asked.

Loke looked at Lucy's angelic face for a while, then, without skipping a heartbeat, he replied, "Yes".

"Very well then, your six months of togetherness starts today, spend it wisely", the spirit king said before he disappeared. After he was gone, the two were left alone, and a moment of silence ensued.

"Uhm…Lucy? Are you ok?" Loke started.

"Yeah", she said as tears were falling down of her cheeks. "I'm just…I'm just happy that we're together again", she looked at Loke and gave him a gentle smile. A smile that melted the lion's heart as he carefully pulled her closer and gave her a hug.

For the next six months, things went great for the couple. Loke introduced Lucy to all of his spirit friends. He was quite excited on how he told everybody that the beautiful woman he is with was his girlfriend. Eventhough he was no longer the lion spirit, he still remained its characteristic virtue of pride. Lucy was also happy in acquainting herself with new spirits; meeting new friends always make her happy. Of course, she also saw some of her old spirits. Virgo, Aries, Taurus, and even Aquarius, were all excited in seeing her. At first, Lucy talked about how happy she was in becoming a part of their family, but she suddenly remembered something terrible that happened as a result of her death.

"I'm sorry that I lost your keys, because of me, you're under Angel's iron hands again", she told Aries with sadness on her voice.

Aries quickly shook her head, "oh no, your guild mates eventually defeated them. They got all the keys and decided to keep them until they can find someone—oomf", Aries was elbowed in the stomach. Virgo shook her head, signalling her to stop talking about the delicate issue. Lucy did not fail to see this and she understood what Virgo meant.

These past few months, she kept on thinking how her guild mates were coping up with her death. Natsu, Gray, Erza, all of them. She wishes she could just see them one last time before staying in the spirit world for good. Then, as if hearing her prayers, the spirit king appeared in front of them and proposed an agreement with Lucy.

"Eos, I understand that you are missing your friends. I know how much they miss you too, that's why I'm here to give you two choices. First, you can either go back to your old life as a human, seeing your friends again, but will be stripped of your abilities as a celestial spirit mage, and replace them with dawn based-magic. You will also forget about whom your spirits were and they shall never show themselves to you ever again. Or, you could become a contracted spirit, so that you could enter Earth land again. But the thing is, you will not know who will get a hold of your key, and there's a chance that you won't see your old friends and guild mates again. I know that it is a hard decision, that's why I'll give you until the end of the month to decide", the spirit king ended as he vanished into thin air.

The other spirits, including Loke, then looked at Lucy's direction. She was obviously troubled with the decision that she has to make. Both situations had their pros and cons, but she just can't let go of one of them.

As one by one the spirits left, Lucy and Loke were alone again in their home. Loke approached his girlfriend and gave her a tight hug.

"Lucy, I hope and pray that you'll make the right decision. All I want to see is your happiness, if that means that you should go back to your friends, then so be it. I just want you to know that I love you, and will always love you. Even if you forget me, I'll never forget you, I promise", Loke said as tears were falling down of his cheeks. Lucy can feel the warm liquid in her face, and she can't help but let her own tears fall as well. "I love you too Loke".

Three weeks have past, and there first year of happiness was over. The spirit king appeared in front of them and reminded them of Loke's punishment. He was about to take Loke with him, when the spirit asked if he can say his final words to Lucy. The spirit king complied and gave them five minutes.

"Lucy, you have seven days left to finalize your decision, just remember that whatever happens, I'll always love you", Loke said as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheeks.

"I love you too Loke", she replied as she returned the kiss that Loke gave him. When they were walking away, she silently whispered to herself.

_But I'm not sure if I could wait for you for six whole months, every year, for the rest of my life…_

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><p>Author's Note: How did you guys like it? Please review. :D What do you think Lucy's decision will be? Sadly though, the next chapter will be the final chapter of this story. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this.<p>

Song that inspired this chapter:

Today My Life Begins by Bruno Mars


	15. Breaking The Habit

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews from the last chapter. I'm basically torn with what decision Lucy should choose. I hope this goes out smoothly.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, etc. etc.

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><p>On the first month of his exile, Loke had a hard time adjusting to the harsh arid environment. He was thrown in a desert wasteland filled with nothing but sand, cacti, and the occasional tumbleweed. He was physically drained due to the scarcity of food and water. Because of this predicament, mirages are always forming inside his head, making him run towards the oasis, only to find out later on that it was only his imagination. Unfortunately for him, he was not only tortured physically, but psychologically as well. He was all alone in the barren area, isolated from his fellow spirits that are enjoying their time in the kingdom. His only companions are the lizards, snakes, and scorpions that he learned to eat as food. There are days that he just wanted to disappear, break another rule so that the spirit king could obliterate his spirit and make it seem like he never existed. But in times when he was about to break another rule, a single thought about Lucy gives him back his energy. Lucy is the main reason why he is determined in pushing through despite the gravity of his situation.<p>

"For Lucy…", he said as he took another breath and kept on walking. Loke knows that eventhough Moustache man presented his proposition; he knows that Lucy will never abandon him.

On the third month, he has fully adjusted to his punishment. _This is not half bad_, he told himself. He was halfway through his journey, when a beautiful woman, with silky blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and porcelain skin appeared in front of him. He was genuinely shocked; he thought his punishment included isolation from other spirits. Apparently he might have misunderstood what the Spirit King told him.

"Who are you?", Loke asked the beautiful maiden.

"I'm Merope." She said as she flashed Loke a warm smile. The used-to-be lion spirit can't help but blush because of her infatuating gesture. _Kawaii…_, he told himself, but quickly snapped out of it, remembering his promise to Lucy.

After introducing herself, Merope explained how she arrived in the desert. "I was venturing outside town one day, when suddenly, huge gusts of wind lead me here. I'm terrified and lonely you see, then as if somebody answered my prayers, I saw you. I quickly followed you and saw how you manage to get food and water. Can I please stay with you?" she pleaded.

"Of course!" Loke said quickly. It would be really nice to have some company and someone as hot as Merope will definitely make his journey a whole lot easier.

The next few days, Loke thought Merope about survival skills and the do's and don'ts in the desert. Merope listened intently and tried to mimic everything that Loke did, and shockingly, she was a very fast learner. Their bond grew as days went by, and Loke could feel Merope's advances. The way she seductively says his name, her nimble hands touching his body, and the way she takes up his space making him a bit uncomfortable.

Merope's tempting advances were hard for Loke (in more ways than one, if you know what I mean). He was trying his best not to succumb to the temptation, and this made Merope more aggressive than before. She was getting tired in presenting herself in that manner, and just decided to pop the question herself.

"Hey Loke! Do you like me?"

"Of course I—", he wasn't able to finish his reply when he was cut by Merope.

"No, I mean do you like like me?" Merope clarified the question. Loke made a big gulp before uttering his reply.

"Sigh. Listen Merope, you're a very attractive girl, and honestly I find you really hot, I mean really really hot, but there's a girl waiting back for me, and well, she's the one that I truly love. I've hurt her heart before, and made her endure a lot of terrible things. But despite all of that, she gave me another chance, and I'm not planning to screw that up. So I hope that you'll understand, I know that someday, someone will come in to your life and make you happy for the rest of your life. With a girl like you, I know that it will not be impossible", Loke ended, he did not notice that while he was telling this to Merope, the Spirit King appeared behind him and listened to his whole speech.

_.Clap._

"Well said my friend, you just passed your test", the Spirit King told Loke.

"My what?" Loke asked in confusion, he has no idea on what Moustache man is talking about.

"You see, Merope here is Orion's original lover. In order to bring Orion back to life, you should be transformed back to Leo, the lion. So in order to achieve this, I decided if you pass the test that I made, I'll turn you back to Leo, and Merope could have Orion back. Fortunately for the both of you, you succeeded. You were able to learn from your past mistakes and were able to keep your promise to Lucy". And with that, the spirit king chanted a few words and turned Loke back to his original form. Also, a spirit in the form of Orion appeared in front of them.

"Orion!"

"Merope!"

The two lovers hugged each other as tears flow down of their faces. "I missed you", Merope whispered. "Not as much as I missed you", Orion replied. Merope wiped her tears and looked towards the Spirit King and Loke's direction.

"Thank you Spirit King, thank you Leo", she bowed her head as both her and Orion were transported back to the kingdom, resuming their lives as lovers.

When the two spirits were alone, the Spirit King told Loke that as an additional reward in passing his test, he declared that Loke's punishment is now lifted, and is free in going back to the kingdom. Loke can't believe what he was hearing but thanked the Spirit King nonetheless.

When he arrived at the kingdom, he quickly sprinted towards his home and was excited in seeing Lucy. When he opened the door, his house was empty.

"Lucy, Lucy", he called for her name, but there was no response.

_Maybe she just went out with her friends, or went out shopping, she'll be back soon. For the mean time, I'm pretty beat up, need to get some rest._ He told himself as he proceeded towards their bedroom. Once he got there, he took a warm bath and changed his clothes. He was about to go to bed, when he noticed a nicely folded letter in the table. Curious, he opened it and read what was inside.

_Dear Loke,_

_It's the final day of my decision and I'm still torn on what to decide. I tried to weigh the pros and cons in both situations, but whatever decision I choose, I seem to lose. You were the most wonderful thing that has happened to my life, despite what has happened in the past, I love you too much to hold a grudge on you. Seeing you on that fateful day at the centre of the forest made my heart flutter once again. And when we were given another chance to be together, it was honestly the best day of my life. But despite all of this, I'm haunted by my thoughts, about how selfish I am enjoying my life here, while my friends in earth land mourn for my death. There was even no closure as the spirit king won't allow me to return to earth land unless I give out a key and become a contracted spirit. That's why, though it kills me to do this, I decided to choose the Spirit King's option to bring me back to life. At least, I will forget that I was a stellar spirit mage, and forget that I met any of you. I'll have a peace of mind, and I know that I have fulfilled my duty. I wish I could say that I'll miss you, but by the time that you're reading this, the spirit king has already made me forget about you. But despite fate's role in our lives, I want to tell you that I genuinely loved you. That's why I want you to forget about me, the memories we had, and the things that we shared, because by now, I know I have already forgotten all about you. _

_ With so much pain and sorrow,_

_Lucy_

Tears were falling down of Loke's face as he crumpled the paper and threw it away.

"Why Lucy! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" he yelled, but there was no reply. Only the echo on his hollow bedroom could be heard and then silence ensued. There was no Lucy to surprise him and tell him that everything she wrote was a big joke.

It seems like the desert wasn't the worst place to be after all.

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><p><em>20 years later…<em>

Loke appeared to be normal, as if nothing has happened in the past, making everybody think that he became that happy-go-lucky guy that everyone knew. But deep inside though, he kept on dreaming about Lucy and wonder how she is doing with her life. One day, he was talking to his buddies, Taurus and Capricorn. It seems like the both of them were found by new masters and they were happy about it. Come to think of it, all of the Zodiacs had new masters, except for him. It seems like nobody has found his key yet, and he was enjoying the moment. Capricorn and Virgo were found by the original key holder of Libra. An S-class wizard with mother-like instincts, kind of like Mirajane Strauss. Then there's Virgo, Taurus, and Pisces. They were found by a celestial spirit mage working under the Magic Council. Their new owner is strict and strong, but he always takes care of his spirits and treats them with respect. After Oracion Seis arrest, Gemi and Mini were found by a young boy who happened to be a celestial spirit mage as well. Aquarius, Scorpio, and Aries were found by a celestial spirit mage from a powerful guild that serves the King of Fiore.

"Ahh...this is the life! No master, no contract, no problem", Loke said as he took another sip from his cup. Suddenly, a bright orange gate appeared in front of him and encouraged him to enter it. _I guess I spoke to soon._

Loke entered the bright light and was immediately teleported to a huge mansion. His eyes were in awe as he never saw earth land evolve into a very beautiful world. He then saw the person who summoned him. The girl looked extremely familiar; she had brown chocolate eyes, with a small pony tail in the side. She had jet black hair and a cross necklace on her shoulder. He was too focused in observing her that he did not notice that she was talking.

"Helllooooo! Earth to Leo? Can I have a contract with you?" asked the young girl, who looks like she's about sixteen years old.

"Oh, sorry about that. Yeah sure, you can summon me anytime you want", he said as he smiled at her and continued their chat. "By the way, may I know your name?"

"It's Lori", she said excitedly. Lori was so happy that she got her first golden key as a gift from her mother. It seems like the reason why Loke was never summoned in twenty years is that somebody found his key and kept it until it's their daughter's sixteenth birthday.

"Mom! Mom! Look, it's Leo!" Lori shouted and a middle aged woman walked outside the house. Her face made Loke's eyes go wide as he knows who Lori's mother is. Despite the years that went by, it seems like she never aged.

"Lucy!" Loke exclaimed, astonished on who he was seeing.

"It's good to see you again…Loke", Lucy said as she gave her warm smile to Loke. It was a gesture that Loke remembered so well, and is the gesture that he will never learn to forget.

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><p>Author's Note: Please review. Also, I'm planning to either make an alternative ending just in case you guys wanted a happier ending or a sequel based on this ending. Thank you very much to everybody who supported this story. Thank You, Salamat, Xie xie, Arigato, Merci, Kamsahapnida, Gracias, and other languages that means thank you. This is my first story that has reached 20,000 words and 50+ reviews. Thank you again. ^_^<p>

Song that Inspired this Chapter:

Breaking the Habit by Linkin Park


	16. Epilogue

Author's Note: I woke up this morning and was surprised by some PMs and reviews from a few readers regarding the sequel/explanation behind Lucy's memory. I was able to make a draft a few months ago but I lost it in my very messy room. I got lazy and forgot about the whole thing and was pre-occupied with school and stuff. So I'm very very sorry, don't kill me. :D

Also, there will be some colourful words in this chapter so be ready. If that's too much for you, then just try to censor it with your mind. :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, etc.

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><p>"Lu…Lucy! But how? I thought…I thought you forgot about me!" Loke exclaimed, still incredulous at how Lucy was still familiar with his existence.<p>

Lucy's smile disappeared and was replaced by a small frown, it was subtle, but strong enough to tell the lion that there is a melancholic story behind it. Loke stared at her for a while, not knowing on what to do or what to say. Lori on the other hand is just baffled by the whole scenario. She will never understand grown-ups and their melodramatic lifestyle, the mere thought of seeing a dramatic scene unfold in front of her between her mother and her new spirit made her roll her eyes. Let's just say it's not something that she would want to see.

After a while, Lucy finally got her composure back and looked at her daughter. "Lori, can I talk with Leo for a while? I just need to tell him something".

"Yeah yeah, go ahead, I'll go hang around with dad and uncle Natsu for a while", she said apathetically.

Lucy then ushered Loke inside of their house. It was an ordinary home, but one small picture caught Loke's attention. It was a family portrait. There he saw Lucy, Lori, and who seems like Lucy's husband. Loke stared at it for a while but did not say a word.

"Please, sit down", Lucy gestured. Loke took the offer and took a seat at the chair adjacent to where Lucy's sitting.

"Ok Lucy, now that we're alone…care to explain?" Loke asked curiously. There was no anger, hurt, nor accusation on his tone of voice…just curiosity. He just wants a closure on what happened to her for 20 years, and why she was still able to remember him, and most probably his fellow spirits.

Lucy took a deep breath, she struggled a bit on how to start the whole conversation, but after a while, she finally opened her mouth.

"After…after I told the spirit king about my decision, he teleported me back to Earthland. At first I felt free, happy, genuinely elated that I'll be able to see my friends and family again. But there was a problem…I still remembered you, all of you".

_Flashback_

"Hey! Moustache man! You told me that when I chose Natsu and my friends, I won't remember about my spirits? Then why the hell do I still remember them?" Lucy was angry and frustrated; it pained her to know that she betrayed her lover and how much of an ass this huge spirit is by lying to her.

"I'm sorry Lucy, but it must be done. I may be the spirit king but I have no ability to remove memories. The only reason why I included such offer is that I know you would never choose to go back to your world if I did not include it. You love Leo too much to let him go." The spirit king did seem apologetic, but Lucy was not yet done with her questions.

"But why? We already accepted your punishment for him and you already turned me into a spirit, so don't give me that human-spirit relationship is taboo bullcrap, because you've already made a way for it to happen! Damn you!" At this point, she was already shouting, she will never forgive him for this; she would personally kill him if she could.

The spirit king sighed in defeat, he does not know how to properly explain this to her, but he tried his best. "I know that it seems like I gave you false hope, but trust me, I did not want to do this to either of you. When I transformed both of you I gave the both of you new identities, at the same time taking away the identity of others, I thought there were no consequences but I was wrong. I disrupted the balance in reality by forming new identities out of an old one. It is hard to explain, and I myself still do not understand the whole process, but I can assure you that the consequences would have been catastrophic. Personally, would you have still chosen to stay with him, knowing that your existence in the spirit world could have jeopardized the entire world? Including the lives of your family and friends?"

Lucy was out of words, she hated that the Spirit King made a point. "No…", she said firmly, but there's a subtle tone of hesitance. "I guess not…"

"I thought so too…", the king replied. "Regarding our deal, all terms still apply, like you having dawn magic. Dawn is always the sign of a new day, in that way, your magic has the same effect. The wonderful thing about this magic is that you can pioneer your own kind of magic as long as it isn't invented yet and is not powerful enough to destroy the whole universe. Choose wisely" he said encouragingly and then disappeared.

_End of Flashback_

"So what kind of magic did you choose? You could've chosen a spell that could forget your memory about me, right?" Loke asked, fascinated by her new ability.

"True. I did consider that, but I love you too much to do it to myself. Instead, I decided that I'll find your key no matter what. That's why I called my magic "Recall". It can find whatever or whoever that I have lost or is lost and I can pinpoint their location. That's how I was able to find your key. After getting a hold of it, I tried to summon you, but to no avail. The spirit king did take away my summoning skills. That's why I trained Lori to become a celestial spirit mage, so that maybe someday, I'll be able to see you again." She said as tears started to pour down of her face.

Loke stood up and slowly went to her and hugged her. "Shh…shhhh, it's ok. I'm not mad or anything, I just want a sense of closure from all of this. I'm happy that you chose to remember me, it made me feel like I'm still a part of you." Loke told her and smiled at her warmly.

"Oh Loke, you'll always be a part of me. Even if I have a husband now, you'll always be the greatest love of my life" Lucy said, smiling back.

"Speaking of which, I noticed your family portrait. So you and Gray got married huh? That's fine with me, eventhough he's not as dashingly handsome as I am, I'd still prefer you to get married to him than with Natsu", Loke said jokingly.

Lucy chuckled at him. "I guess some things just never change, huh?"

Loke then leaned forward and kissed her forehead "I guess so too…"

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><p>Yeah so that's the end. I will not be able to write the sequel since school is killing me, and believe me, it's not easy. I hope you guys enjoyed it and please review :D<p> 


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